


Kismet

by Fuzztacular



Series: Fortune is a Fickle Dame [1]
Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)
Genre: Animal Death, Background Leo/Karai, Background Raph/Mona Lisa, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Mutant Reader, Post-Canon, Reference to Renet, Reference to Shinigami, References to Depression, Romantic tension resolved?!, Social Anxiety, Threat of noncon but no actual noncon, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Vague descriptions of death violence and torture, grown up turtles, other tags to be added as needed, vague description of wounds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-09-20
Packaged: 2020-08-13 17:27:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 27,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20178031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fuzztacular/pseuds/Fuzztacular
Summary: During a winter vacation back at the O'Neil family farm, Donatello comes across a strange mutant.  Will she cause problems for him and his family or could she be exactly what he's looking for?Completed!





	1. The Preamble

Returning to the farmhouse after so many years felt like going back in time. So much had happened, yet it was as if none of it mattered there. Master Splinter was gone, not MIA like last time. The hole in their hearts had finally healed to a dull ache, never truly gone, but not as torturous as before. Despite that, everyone was in great health. They weren’t hiding this time, just vacationing. Everyone needed the relaxation that the old home could potentially provide. But for Donatello everything was not all sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows. The rest of his family had a companion, or were at least pursuing one. Raphael had his Mona Lisa; Leonardo was with Karai, of course; and no one could ever tell who Michelangelo was more interested in, Renet or Shinigami. The cherry on top of it all being the agonizing year and almost a half since April and Casey had announced their relationship. Everything was different.

Donnie was hoping there would be no new cause for heartache for a long while; he was quite fed up with it. He was fed up with a lot lately though and he knew the others had noticed a while ago. He hoped no one believed the biting comments or sarcastic remarks he couldn’t stop himself from making. He always felt bad in hindsight, but could never shut up before putting his foot in his mouth. All of the fights with Raph and Casey, arguments with Leo, and sour words from Mikey and April had, at the very least, taught Donnie the importance of internalizing his completely unfair criticisms. He really didn’t see how this “break” was supposed to help him either. He’d still be lonely even when surrounded by his family, he knew the others would continue to try to help ease his lingering pain, and he would consequently feel just as crowded by them. Plus, whose dumb idea was it to visit the farm in January! Between the bitter cold and the unpredictable snow storms he wouldn’t be able to escape into the outdoors for nearly as long as literally any other time of the year. Just because Leo was unconscious for it last time didn’t mean the rest of the group should suffer through it again. He could at least count his blessings that the others had left him in peace to repair the long neglected plumbing, because there was no way he could have held back from tearing someone a new one. He sighed contemplating his mood swings. Donatello figured he was depressed to some small degree but his symptoms were all over the place. He wasn’t suicidal and was therefore not concerned with his lack of motivation in self-diagnosis so consequently there was really no relief.

It had only been a couple days since he, his brothers, April, Casey, Ice Cream Kitty, and Chompy finally clambered out of the Party Wagon after the long drive. Everything was finally in acceptable working order and a daily routine had taken hold. First breakfast, then training in the old barn until lunch, after that everyone was free to do their own thing until dinner; the evening was usually concluded with a movie or random show on the ancient television set. However, this left Donnie with a lot of spare time which he would always choose to fill by tinkering in his makeshift lab-away-from-home. That is until Leo came to retrieve him for dinner one evening and realized how cold the barn would get, even with the small space heater running nonstop at full blast. The chill wasn’t noticeable when everyone was working up a sweat during training. 

Donatello knew now of the poor choice he’d made when rolling his eyes at Leo’s lecture about prolonged exposure to the cold. His remark about low temperatures not actually making you sick just weakening the immune system making you more likely to get sick, probably didn’t help matters either. If he had known Leo would strictly enforce a limit on the length of time he spent in the barn, he would have definitely tried to prevent anyone paying him a visit out there in the first place. After a long argument the leader refused to budge on granting him more than two hours a day and Donnie could do nothing but comply or risk his brother’s wrath.

It hadn’t even been a full day since his barn visitation rights had been reduced and Donnie was already on edge. After lunch he had hoped the documentary he’d found on the TV would distract him for a decent amount of time, but he couldn’t concentrate with April and Casey being in the room together. Sure they were his friends and he was perfectly content to let them be happy in their relationship. The boastful side glances Jones shot him every time he made even the smallest physical contact with her were unnecessary though and would enflame the rejection he was desperately attempting to heal. Seriously, it had been well over a year! Why couldn’t the guy just leave him alone? Having his fill of Casey’s behavior, he quietly took his leave, hearing April’s disapproving tone directed at her boyfriend after he’d made his exit. Donnie began bundling up in his winter gear ignoring the fact that Leo would be arguing the letter of the law when he returned. He groaned internally when Mikey’s voice chimed from behind him, “Whatcha doin’, D?”

He quickly recollected what little patience he had remaining and replied, “Going for a walk to clear my mind.”

“Isn’t there like, a crazy big storm coming?” the freckled turtle questioned.

Donnie sighed knowing Mikey wasn’t going to let him off the hook easily. “The storm isn’t forecast to start until later this evening and I only plan on being out for an hour,” he reasoned. When it appeared that the shorter brother was about to make a counterpoint, he quickly interrupted, “I’ll have my weapon and T-Phone if anything happens.” Mikey still didn’t look convinced. Donnie slumped slightly and, in a hushed tone, confessed, “Look Mikey, I can’t,” he paused casting a pained glance towards the happy couple snuggled on the couch and then down to the floor in front of him. “I just can’t be in here anymore.”

Mikey followed his brother’s gaze and was immediately sympathetic. “Okay bro, but you better promise to be back in an hour or Leo’s gonna kill both of us,” he insisted.

Donnie softly smiled his thanks and hurried out the door before anyone else could stop him. He was in the woods bordering the property before he realized it and promptly slowed to his natural pace, which compliments to his long legs, made covering great distances still pretty quick, especially compared to most. He admired the way the evergreen boughs hung low with snow and the way the sunlight sparkled on the untouched precipitation blanketing the ground. As he continued he found tracks made by small mammals and even observed a herd of deer through the trees. Everything was so peaceful and Donatello appreciated the chance to breathe deeply with no one around to judge or pity him. He was just beginning to feel like himself when he checked his phone and realized he should have turned back a while ago. Taking one last look around and vowing to come back out next time the weather cooperated, he turned to head back but was stopped in his tracks.

‘Was that a voice?’ Okay, dumb question, it was too clear to be mistaken for anything else. The better set of questions was ‘who would be way out here with a storm coming and why?’ The nearest building was the O’Neil property, nothing else was within walking distance by a longshot. He slipped into full ninja mode and leaped up into a nearby tree, deciding it was too dangerous to allow an outsider this close to his family without proper reconnaissance and knowing he would be more difficult to track in the branches. As he carefully and quietly approached his slow moving target he was able to make out words and a melody and made a mental note that the stranger was likely female and had a lovely singing voice. After maneuvering farther into the woods, he stilled his movement when she finally came into view. 

‘She’s a mutant?’ He was starting to annoy himself with all these Mikey like questions. Yes, she was obviously some sort of cat mutant. Inspecting her as she unwittingly sauntered onward, her fur was a silvery taupe and probably in the winter coat stages seeing how it puffed out quite a bit from under the scant amount of clothing she wore, just a sports bra and athletic shorts. He supposed that with fur as thick as hers she probably didn’t need the outfit for warmth. His eyes traveled back up to her face, he was still too far to see specific features, but the longer ruffles of fur lining most of her jaw and the black tufts at the tips of her ears were easily visible and hinted that she was either bobcat or lynx. Her tail would be the distinguishing factor. As she finally strolled past his location her stubby appendage lashed back and forth allowing him to judge her as a lynx since the entire tip of her tail was black and not the dual black and white layer of colors a bobcat would have.

Knowing there were several lynx subspecies, he could hypothesize about hers while following her. That would be his family’s safest option upon finding a strange mutant wandering so close to the relative safety of the farmhouse. He was easily able to follow her meandering course for about an hour when a sudden gust of wind from behind reminded him that his curfew would be upon him well before he made it home. The same wind also caused a startled reaction from his quarry which immediately drew his full attention back to her.

“Shit!” 


	2. The First Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mistrust and misunderstandings are in abundance when Donatello finally crosses paths with the mysterious mutant he found wandering in the woods.

“Shit!” I cursed as I simultaneously jumped several feet to my left and pivoted to the right while still midair. I crouched down into a ready stance as my ears rotated wildly and I sniffed the frigid air searching for a trace of the strange scent I’d noticed a second before. Idiot, what was I thinking going around singing? I know better than that! And the large clearing I found myself in did me no favors in the subterfuge department. I might as well have been begging to be attacked! After nothing happened for a long pause I knew I couldn’t let the stalemate continue. “I know you’re there, come out” I intoned with authority. Again, nothing for several heartbeats, I tried again, snarling “It won’t be pleasant for either of us if you make me come over there to look for you.” 

Finally I heard a quiet sigh and the movement of a tree branch drew my focus, a figure dropped down from it and stood several yards away to watch me. Huh, so my nose wasn’t playing tricks on me. The humanoid turtle, male from the smell of him, was much taller than me. I mentally questioned what need he could possibly have for his mask, as I eyed the staff sticking up from behind him as well as his lean yet muscled form. He was a huge turtle for god sake; did he really think such a minimal disguise would protect his identity? My eyes narrowed in suspicion as he shivered a little. I was expecting that any pursuer would be better prepared for the weather this time of the year; maybe it was an act to throw me off guard. I pivoted my ears searching for any other out of place sounds before asking, “Did you come alone?” My question appeared to confuse him if his furrowed brow was anything to go by.

\----------------

That was the first question she asked? He had to contemplate a response. Was it a trick question? She had a minimal to nonexistent reaction to his physical appearance, was she expecting to find a mutant out here? Does she know about the others? Was following her alone a bad idea? He reminded himself that he was an experienced ninja with several evasion tactics at his disposal if he needed a quick getaway. Now, how to answer her? He was in the woods alone, sure, but he was here on vacation with his family. The expression in her eyes attested to some hidden danger; he wanted to dissuade her from attacking, but didn’t want to give too much away. “The rest of the group is back at our camp.” 

\----------------

He could be some sort of scout or lookout. That would explain his attire; he didn’t expect to be out for long. If his words were to be trusted then he would be missed eventually. I was too far away to catch the nuances of his scent and hear his heart, so unless I got closer I wouldn’t be able to tell if he was lying. My eyes shifted back towards his weapon before returning to his face. Closing the distance would put me within striking range, was I willing to gamble that I could be faster if it came to blows?

I deemed it an acceptable risk and slowly stalked forward. We regarded each other with skepticism; he no doubt noticed my stiff hesitant movements just as I had noticed the tension rise in his frame. I stopped and forcefully loosened my posture several feet in front of him; his gloved hands looked empty, so he wouldn’t be able to touch me without either moving forward or reaching elsewhere on his person for a weapon. 

I took a few extra seconds to scrutinize him more closely before considering my next question. He was over a full head taller than me, my ears tips would only come up to his chin if I was close enough to properly measure. The smell of his leather harness wafted to my nose just before I sensed how nervous he was, not yet emitting the tang of fear, but he was definitely uncomfortable. He was probably telling the truth about his backup, he wouldn’t be this worried if they were nearby. My gaze flitted back over his defined muscles and I briefly wondered about the amount and type of training he would have been forced through, especially since he had been sent after me. Arriving back at his face, maybe the significance of the mask had to do with its color rather than any sort of concealment. I noticed his mahogany eyes soften a bit as they met mine. He was handsome; too bad I’d probably have to kill him.

\----------------

As she approached, he couldn’t help but feel as if she was testing him; evaluating whether he would run, stand his ground, or go on the offensive. If he wasn’t so insufferably inquisitive, he would probably try to stop her; she made it clear that she was unsure about moving closer. However, he desperately wanted to unravel the mysteries behind this pretty new face and he wasn’t about to do anything to discourage her. Once she was within a better range he could make out a slightly darker speckled pattern in her fur, her toasty, warm, probably soft fur; oh man he was getting cold. He took note of her oversized hands and feet before turning his attention towards her face; her nose was a dark pink and the inner curve of her lips were lined in a deep gray. She had the most gorgeous seafoam green eyes he had ever seen. They were outlined in black with pure silvery fur encircling them, a black line extended from the outer edges giving her the appearance of perfectly winged eyeliner. She was an exquisite specimen, most likely a Canadian Lynx he decided, if the wide shape of her face and paws were anything to go by.

“I’m not going easily; you know that right?” 

Now he was even more confused, “Pardon?”

\----------------

I hadn’t mumbled; he was obviously playing dumb. My voice hardened in annoyance as I felt the fur along my shoulders bristle, “I’m not going without a fight.” I wasn’t sure if the surprise in his expression was genuine until it leached into his scent, very few beings I’d met were able to fake an emotion this thoroughly.

He stuttered, “I-I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” 

I apparently needed to be more direct with him, and before he could elaborate I interrupted, demanding, “Who sent you?” There was more confusion then with a bit of extra worry.

“No one, in fact everyone will probably be pretty upset with me for coming out alone as it is.”

I wasn’t getting anywhere with this guy, did they assign him because he was so evasive? What was his plan? How long had I been followed? He obviously could have had the drop on me, but he didn’t take the advantage of a sneak attack. My sigh came out rather angrily with the force of my aggravation behind it. I growled, “No, I mean who sent your retrieval team out to the middle of nowhere after me?” It was my turn to be surprised when he was suddenly very concerned. 

\----------------

“I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I didn’t know you were out here until I heard you singing a little while ago; it was beautiful by the way.” He figured adding the compliment wouldn’t hurt anything and seeing the mistrust in her eyes fade to bewilderment, he didn’t regret it. 

\----------------

His heart rate was steady and there were no signs of deception in his scent. Was this really just a coincidence? The odds didn’t make it seem all that likely. “Thanks,” I muttered distractedly, studying him even more carefully. I was so sure of myself just seconds ago, but if he wasn’t sent to recover me then what was my next move? There was one more trick up my sleeve that would help me decide if I could trust him or not, but that required me to move within arm’s reach of him. Should I? I mean, he hadn’t given me any reason to doubt him thus far. That and his skin looked awfully smooth for a creature that should have scales. Making my decision, I lifted my hand and took a half step forward, “May I?”

\----------------

Her confusion had dissolved into cautious determination. The skeptic in him warned that he wasn’t completely certain what she was asking him, let alone what she was capable of, but the curiosity of his scientific mind won; he wanted to find out what she would do. Nodding and watching her with a great deal of interest, he was only vaguely aware that he was becoming bolder with regards to her. 

She tentatively closed the final distance between them, hand still outstretched, her eyes only unlocked from his to dance down to side. His hand maybe? He moved it to his front and sure enough, her attention followed before returning to his face. Gauging his reaction perhaps? She stopped a couple feet from him and when her hand came into contact with the suddenly bare flesh of his own, his brain went into overdrive. 

Did she come forward just to touch him? Why? When did his mitten come off? Oh, it was in her other hand. How did he not notice that before? Leo and Raph would be furious with him, letting his guard down around this strange mutant. He had been right though, her fur was warm and soft. He shuddered at the temperature difference. Was it getting colder? Shifting his focus, he read her surprisingly relaxed posture and neutral expression; her eyes had glazed over in a faraway look. How odd. Was she okay? Should he say something? What was going on here? She quickly snapped out of it with a quiet gasp as she jerked her hand away. Her face briefly betrayed her baffled shock before her ears pointedly turned away and she returned to a more guarded look as handed him back his mitten.

\----------------

The first time my power had manifested it had scared and dazed me. It took a couple activations, just a few brief touches of unclothed skin on my padded palms, to realize I could see how that person or monster would abuse me. They were always similar, there was always screaming, usually a lot of violence. This time was different though. There was no hate, fear, or anger in the sensations. I caught the peal of our combined laughter, I felt the comfort of being snuggled up to a firm body with strong arms wrapped around me, and suddenly I became much too aware of the heated passion between us as I was pinned to a wall while his mouth-Okay, wow, that was…different. Hm, maybe I’d have to rethink how these visions actually work. 

Coming back to myself, I just stood there staring at the guy. What had I just seen? Was that supposed to be the future? And if so, was that a future I wanted? I mean, sure he was attractive enough, but I had problems of my own without bringing anymore complications into the mix. He shivered again as the wind began to pick up and large snowflakes started to fall. Right, the storm.

“It looks like the storm is moving in fast.” I couldn’t quite bring myself to face him, but after a long moment with no response, I found him looking at, what was that? Some kind of device, it had a glowing screen, a phone maybe, but the shape was unlike any I’d seen. He glanced worriedly from the gadget back to me. “Can you make it back to your camp?”

He grimaced at the question. “I should have been back a while ago and with the weather progressing as is the trek back could prove dangerous.”

I was worried then too. My den was fairly close by. Could I trust him enough to bring him home with me? If he was going to survive, he wouldn’t have a choice. My options seemed limited to either trusting him with my location so he could live to maybe stab me in the back, or leave him on his own to most likely freeze to death while keeping my secrets safe. The next problem was that he had a group waiting for him somewhere. I really couldn’t afford a search party sifting through the woods so close to my home. Well shit, looks like I didn’t have much of a choice either. “My den is under a mile away. You’re welcome to stay with me until it passes if you’d like.”

I knew the upcoming blizzard would force his hand, and by the uneasy set of his shoulders and the scrupulous way he was assessing me, I’m pretty sure he did too. With a defeated sigh he agreed, “Yes, please.” I nodded and immediately set off, our pace at a jog.


	3. Weathering the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the storm bears down on them, can they make it to shelter in time?

This was definitely not good. The storm was closer to a gale now and they had yet to reach the safety of the lynx’s sanctuary. Donatello was huddled in on himself tremors wracking his frame. His mind had gone numb not long after his extremities and if he hadn’t been so devastatingly cold he surely would have been quite concerned. More embarrassed also after his muscles started failing him and she was forced to haul his dead weight the rest of the way; positioning herself in front of him, she brought his arms over her shoulders and somehow managed to manhandle him into a piggyback carry. The going was much slower and a lot more awkward with their size difference and his long limbs, but their goal was getting close. She hoped her body heat would help keep him going for the remainder of the trip, but made sure to constantly jostle him and speak up if necessary to ensure he wouldn’t fall asleep. 

By the time they finally arrived, he was much too out of it to notice how the surrounding trees blocked the majority of the wind and snow. Conscience thought was partially reawakened when he was propped up against the biggest tree in the center of the cluster. He watched as she bent low next to some roots at the base of said tree to roll away a rather large rock and reveal the underground hole that made up her den. After a bit of encouragement he crawled in, instantly noticing the warmer climate of the naturally insulated cavity. His fluffy companion followed returning the small boulder and extinguishing the already low light. Enough of his senses had returned to know he should be on edge and practicing extreme caution being in this wildcat’s domain, but he was still just too frozen to care, if she wanted him dead he would have been by now. 

An odd growly whine startled him before a soft glow illuminated the shoulder high cave. Donnie slowly maneuvered himself until he was facing the strange female and recognized the light source as an emergency crank flashlight radio combo. Before he had a chance to do anything she was making her way over to him. “Your wet gear isn’t doing you any favors; you might as well strip and climb in my nest to get your temperature back up,” she murmured before turning to rummage through a large plastic storage bin. The turtle knew that if his face hadn’t already been darkened by windburn he would be blushing. Sure he was disrobing in the presence of a pretty girl, but it’s not like she’d see anything too private anyway. He decided the reason for his hesitance wasn’t his nerves regarding close quarters with the opposite sex, but the vulnerability of not having his weaponry within arm’s reach. Yeah, he’d go with that.

Reluctantly and rather clumsily (he was still mostly numb but the shivering was starting back up), he started shucking his layers, taking stock of his surroundings while doing so. The entirety of the den was roughly six feet square with a tarp covering the ground and a few recesses in the earthen walls used to store plastic bins of all sizes. The pile of towels, sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows must be the nest she was referring to. He was in the process of deciding what to do with his soggy accoutrement when her soft voice washed over him. “Leave it; I’ll lay them out to dry. You need to get warm.” He headed over to the pile of assorted fabrics and burrowed in. Weighing the pros and cons of leaving his head out versus tucking it in, he was interrupted by her approach this time. “I’m assuming you’re probably hungry and thirsty. Here, help yourself. That’s smoked venison if you’re interested.” Inspecting the offerings, he indeed did find the smoked meat, as well as a couple carrots, apples, and a canteen mostly full of water.

He glanced over at his quiet host as she swiftly and efficiently laid out his winter apparel and moved on to his leather belts when he suddenly realized his family still had no clue as to where he was. “Thank you for the hospitality, would you mind handing me that? I need to get in touch with the rest of my group.” If he wasn’t specifically looking for it he probably would have missed the minute tightening around her eyes as she mistrustfully handed him his utility belt. Remembering his manners, he realized he had yet to introduce himself, but figured preventing his loved ones from wandering into the notorious weather was slightly more important at the moment. Rereading the text he hastily composed with shaky hands and finding it adequate, he sent it off.

_D to Leo: I’m sorry I didn’t make it back before the storm hit. Don’t worry, I’m fine. I found shelter and I’ll be on my way once the weather clears. I’d call, but I’m trying to conserve battery._

Less than a minute later he got a reply.

_Leo to D: We’ll keep an eye out for you then. Glad you’re okay. Wind knocked the power out here, but we’ll manage. Stay safe._

Sighing in relief, Donnie powered down his T-phone and returned it to his belt before discarding the bundle off to the side. “Thank you, again, for everything, I really am grateful. You saved my life back there; I’m truly in your debt.” 

She narrowed her eyes and spit, “Don’t bother thanking me, I only took you in so your friends wouldn’t find your frozen carcass so close to my home.” Seeing him startle slightly at the sudden show of aggression she settled into a passively grumpy attitude and continued; “but if you insist, you can repay my kindness by forgetting you ever saw me. Don’t give me that look; I tend to attract more trouble than I’m worth. If you had any sense you’d go back to wherever you came from and pretend I don’t exist.”

Still too exhausted and hypothermic to fight her on the matter he gathered the food and started to eat. In between bites he insisted, “Well, I’d at least like to be polite while I’m here. My name is Donatello, my family and friends call me Donnie, Don, or D, whichever you prefer. Can I at least know the name of my imaginary savior?”

She scoffed in a blend of amusement and incredulity. “More information isn’t going to help you forget; in fact it could prove quite detrimental to your health if you have a run in with the people who are actually after me.” He continued eating and watching her as if she hadn’t said anything. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” After a steadying breath she continued, “I don’t remember my real name. The closest I had to one was my Identification Code which was K1T-T13; they called my Kitty for short.” He paused in his chewing to look at her curiously. Ignoring his stare, she grabbed the light source, gave it a few more cranks, and sat close to him on top of the pile of textiles. “If you’re still cold and are comfortable with it, I wouldn’t be against lending my body heat to help you warm up,” she grumbled, suddenly finding the flashlight very interesting. After a long, pregnant pause she glanced up to see him still locked in place and rolled her eyes; “helping you get here would be a wasted effort if you drop dead because you can’t raise your temperature.” He gulped and meekly nodded his assent; she immediately began making herself comfortable against him under the blankets.

After a few more bites he broke the silence, “You do realize the more I learn about you the more questions I have, right?” Disapproval clouded her expression. “I’m naturally curious,” he explained.

“Do you really have so little self-preservation?” When all she received in reply was a cocked eyebrow, she groaned and continued. “Fine, maybe more information on the threat will sway your judgement. I might as well start from the beginning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hypothermia is no joke, know the signs.
> 
> https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypothermia/symptoms-causes/syc-20352682
> 
> The more you know


	4. In the Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kitty explains her sordid past.

I hadn’t always been a mutated cat; apparently I had been human at one point in time, not that I ever had any recollection to prove or disprove that. Amnesia they said. Mutation sometimes has that affect I was told, but then again I was told a lot of things that weren’t true. The earliest memory was the pain of the mutation itself. Bones breaking and rapidly reforming, flesh tearing and immediately healing, my very DNA crumbling and reconstructing to form the creature I am today, the monster they molded me into. That had been the first step in the process, the first I remembered anyway.

I was confined to my quarters for the first portion of my time at the facility. Well, they called them quarters; it was a large cage, the front wall made of clear plastic so my captors could keep constant watch over me. It was equipped with a hard cot, no blanket or pillow to be had; there were bathroom amenities, but nothing to provide any privacy to use them; as well as a small personal gym including a treadmill and dumbbells. 

It wasn’t but a day before the testing and training started. The testing wasn’t too bad, fairly routine medical exams such as taking blood samples, analyzing the extent of my five senses, and obtaining my very own subdermal tracking device. There was memory and ability research as well. The assessment of my reminiscence and skills was of the most interest and enjoyment to me. Despite having lost all history pre-mutation I still withheld knowledge and talents that I couldn’t account for. I recognized simple French for example, I could read sheet music and identify the keys on a piano, I understood complex math and knew the periodic table of elements. I was constantly learning new areas of proficiency I didn’t know I already had acquired. However, for every small pleasure, there were ever greater horrors that awaited me. 

It started out simple yet arduous, I was to become faster, stronger, and more agile than before. With their close monitoring of the intake of my nutritionally balanced kibble and all the forced exercise during every second of my downtime, their physical fitness program worked quickly and efficiently. As soon as I reached some unknown threshold, combat preparation was added to my regimen. It became quickly apparent that it was sink or swim for me here on out. I was constantly given larger and more difficult adversaries. If I won I got to eat and enjoy extra time to rest and recover; if I lost, I was patched up by a medic, sent to continue my other physical workouts, and forfeited my meals until the next fight. It didn’t take long for desperation to give way to primal instinct and I had no mercy left to give. I eventually learned to face groups of foes who were, from then on, doomed to be beaten, bloodied, pulp barely left alive. But that too needed to change. 

One fateful day my schedule was rearranged. My aptitude tests were discontinued and my battle training would be taken to the next level. I was chained and muzzled as per usual when I was to be transported to the fighting pen, but I was taken to a new area of the facility. Rather than the normal arena, this was a new cage about the size of my living quarters, each of the walls were clear plastic, inside was a gagged and blindfolded man bound to a chair. Once I was released into that new room I was ordered to execute the man. They did everything in their power to try to convince me that killing him was the correct course of action; they tried reasoning with me saying he was just some convict sentenced to die anyway for crimes too numerous and heinous to elaborate on, they tried bribery ensuring I’d have anything my heart could desire (within reason), and when that also failed they threatened. They threatened beatings worse than I had experienced in combat training, they threatened no food at all until I relented and ended him, and they also threatened some worse unnamed punishment that they promised would be much more unbearable for me but ultimately very beneficial for them. 

After a couple days of starvation, being tied down and viciously beaten, and subsequently nursing more broken bones than I could account for, the desperation was back with a vengeance, and I was finally told of the last threat. I bent to their will before earning the worst punishment. They knew I would break before then. So I did as I was told, numbly murdering innumerable helpless prisoners until they upped the ante further yet. Now I was given unleashed prey and informed these sessions would now be life or death for me, kill or be killed. Having already learned my lesson I threw myself into the fight with mindless fury only seen in the most ruthless of beasts. And I became viewed as nothing more than a rabid animal on a short leash. 

It was on these little outings to the death trap that I started to learn more about my surroundings and captors, the people of the Earth Protection Force were shockingly loose lipped for a government agency. I learned that they were formed to battle alien invasion forces; however the weapons of humanity proved useless and they were forced to rely on a similar yet benevolent alien faction for more effective gear. After gaining mutagen from some unknown source, the humans again proved they were nothing if not greedy and paranoid. They started experimenting with the possibilities of tightly controlled Military and Intelligence Mutant units. They called the project MAIM and expected it to release the United States from dependency on the otherworldly allies and pose a solution to ever growing international disputes as well. Because what could be more deadly efficient than highly adapted spies, assassins, and super soldiers?

I wasn’t the first initiate, not even close. There had been many failures that were either killed in training or had to be “put down” for various reasons. There were three other mutants remaining; Identification Code T3D-D13 a female grizzly bear, Code L-30 a male mountain lion, and R-3X a male timber wolf. All of us, save for the bear, were brought in from the same “culling”, a fancy term the scientists used to make themselves feel better about our abduction. The males and I were classified as yellow cases, meaning we were well on our way to being the controlled murderers cultivated for MAIM, not quite a green case which signified a unit ready for the field. Teddy was a troubling orange case; she had the death down pat, but was just as likely to try attacking her handlers as she was her targets.

From the very beginning I had been warned that if I attempted escape my family would pay the price. I didn’t remember ever having a family, but if I did I assumed that I would have loved them. Once my insubordination started they knew that endangering a family I may or may not have had wouldn’t be enough to sway me back under their command. That’s when they introduced me to the concept of forced breeding experiments. If I were to stray from their selected path I would be bred by all manners of creatures, human and mutant alike, to see how fruitful training any future litters would prove. That was the unnamed punishment worse than all the rest. That was the punishment I wasn’t brave enough to face. That was the punishment I would commit any manner of atrocities to avoid.

It wasn’t until Identification Code S4M-M13, a female bald eagle mutant was introduced to the facility that unrest started to spread through the ranks of us captives. She was highly combative and nonresponsive to “treatments”; she was a red case. They unwisely housed her in the same hallway as Teddy and soon found they got along infamously. One would always manage to rile the other into a seething rage before they were hauled off in separate directions for training and “reconditioning”. 

Time was kept hidden from us as soon as we were mutated, shifts changed around the clock in the underground facility and no timepieces were allowed within view of us initiates. So it’s hard to say how long Sammy had been in the program before she was able to manipulate the guards into allowing her and Teddy to finally square off snout to beak. That was the last mistake they and many others would ever make. The two mortal enemies turned on our captors and were easily able to overpower them. It wasn’t that their hatred of each other was an act; they were just able to put their differences aside long enough to free the rest of us and demolish our way through the compound. Once a safe distance away we made sure to rip out our tracking devices and decided our best chance would be to split up, that way if they managed to find one of us they wouldn’t recapture all. Rex had, unbeknownst to me, grown rather attached and was quite insistent that he and I travel and settle somewhere together. My touch based relations power had manifested fully and secretly by then and from the uncontrollable sobbing, savage snarling, and gnashing of teeth I had foreseen, I knew that was a horrible idea. He was heartbroken, but it was ultimately for the best.

I made my way to the forests of the American northeast and found a home for myself if a small alcove that I eventually enlarged under the large tree. I had nothing except the scraps of clothes on my back until some campers decided to set up troublingly close to my den. It was beyond easy to scare them off and remain unseen, I did such a good job in fact that they left without their supplies. I did this a few times in the four or five years I’ve lived here and have made quite the comfortable life for myself with my cozy home full of newly acquired goods, neighboring stream to catch fish and collect water, nearby apple trees, and small garden of mostly carrots and potatoes. I’m still wary though, always looking over my shoulder and planning for the day that the EPF comes to reclaim their multimillion dollar MAIM unit.


	5. Dissipation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after the most awkward slumber party.

It didn’t take Donatello long to fall asleep after hearing my origin story. I didn’t blame him, if anything I envied the way his only slightly chilled body fully relaxed into mine. It had been too long since…actually, I don’t think I’d ever trusted anyone enough to sleep as soundly around them as he did then. I blearily stirred awake after a few hours of unsettled slumber. Bumping into my bed fellow must have startled him awake if his sudden lurch and swift jab to my nose were anything to go by. He returned to his right state of mind instantly afterwards and profusely apologized, but the damage had been done. His unexpected attack on me triggered an almost forgotten defense mechanism buried deeply in my psyche. As I felt hot liquid run from my nose, blood lust started to fog my brain. With a last ditch effort I hastily scrambled to the stone blocking my den entrance and pushed my way outside. I needed the cold open air to clear the haze before I undid all of my work saving the turtle’s life the night before.

He soon followed out behind me, his gear and winter attire in place apologies still flowing from him, to find me kneeling hunched over on the snow blanketed ground. “Don’t!” I whipped around facing the unintentional threat of his presence, pupils fully dilated in a crazed demeanor, ready to react to the slightest of motion, my voice dark and menacing. “Just wait.” I subconsciously noted his lack of fear and slowly, difficultly turned my back to him. My ears were stuck back keeping tabs on my accidental attacker, fur bristling in an instinctual show of warning, and my stubby tail thrashing angrily. Once my heartrate calmed and my mind and body relaxed, I scooped up some of the fresh snow to clean the blood from my face. I took the time to fully immerse myself in our surroundings. Despite the rough start for my temporary den mate and myself, the day looked like it would be calm and pleasant compared to the night before. Hoping I didn’t present too barbaric a sight after my episode, I stood and turned to him. “Don’t worry about it; I know it was an accident.” I had hoped he would drop it and we could go about our day, but that was apparently too much to ask.

“What was that?” Uncertainty was written clearly across his face and through his words. 

I exhaled slowly, getting my thoughts in order, “Some form of PTSD as far as I can tell. An intense fight, immense stress, or blood loss can bring on an episode. I’m fine if I can stop it quickly. But if not, well,” I shrug and let my words trail off, finding I would be unhappy with myself if I scared him off now despite my warnings that he should keep away from me. 

He nodded minutely in understanding, “My brothers and I all show symptoms on occasion too.” 

I suppose it made sense; a mutant’s life was never going to be easy. “Brothers huh, they who you contacted last night?” He must have decided fair was fair, I gave him my story so he should reciprocate, or he just plain felt bad, either way, he replied in the affirmative and immediately launched into their history. He told me of his family’s mutation day, their lives in the sewers, and the first day they were allowed to venture out of said sewers. He recounted the friends and enemies they made along the way, he wove tales of love found and love lost, and shyly explained the events that led to his ill-fated journey into the woods the day before. While Donatello was telling his story I started a fire, brought a blanket out for him, ushered him to a freshly brushed off seat on a felled log by the fire, and proceeded to uncover my fishing hole in preparation for breakfast. 

By time he had finished, the couple large fish I had caught, cleaned, and cooked were close to done and I felt that we had a mutual understanding of each other on a much deeper level. I found myself envious of the close relationship with his brothers, as different as their personalities seemed to be, and even though his friendship with the humans was strained I found I could only hope to find someone nearly as loyal. I doubted they would ever be human in my case; I had too many past traumas with the species. We chatted through our meal, each asking and answering questions even continuing after we had finished eating and I boiled and filtered snow to fill my canteen and spare water jug. 

Midday reached us faster than expected. “I assume you’ll want to get back to your family soon. You’re welcome to stay of course, but if you want to reach them before nightfall I’d suggest getting started.” His gaze landed on the blanket he was tightly bundled in, after a few seconds I realized he was avoiding my face. I scooted closer pressing my warmth to the cool exterior of his bundle. “Is there something on your mind or do you need help finding your way?” 

He tilted his head slightly to level his eyes at me, “Um, both actually.” I waited patiently while he formed his thoughts. “Were you serious before, when you told me to forget about you?”

I felt my ears turn away from him as my tail lashed in discomfort. If I was being truthful I wouldn’t want him to forget, I would have loved for him to come back sometime before returning to the city. But since he and his family already had a few rare dealings with the EPF, I was nervous for their safety as well as mine should either party acknowledge my existence in front of the other. “It would probably be the smart option,” I mumbled realizing it was my turn to avoid him. He grumbled his dissatisfaction at my opinion. Before he could say anything I interrupted him, “What are you going to tell the others?” 

He groaned, “Well, so far they don’t know about you. I just told them I was able to find shelter. If you’re sure this is how we should play it, then I won’t say anything.” I peeked up to see his pleading eyes drilling into my own. It seemed as if it bothered him just as much as it did me. 

Despite the loneliness I could feel welling in my chest as well as permeating his scent, I patted his shoulder in reassurance, “It’s probably for the best.” I stood and grabbed the now cooled pot of water, “Let me store this and we can go whenever you’re ready. I know the O’Neil farmhouse; I’ll take you. It’ll take a couple hours to get there but I won’t mind the chance to stretch my legs.” I didn’t wait for a reply before I strode back to the den.

When I returned to the weak fire and Donatello’s side, I found him stashing his phone back into its pouch. He mumbled, “Apparently the power is still out; they asked me to hunt on the way back. Everything in the fridge has probably gone bad; Mikey has never understood the concept of leaving the door closed.” I side eyed him sizing him up; I hadn’t considered turtles as hunters before even though he had managed to sneak up on me, I had only realized he was there once the wind had shifted. I immediately offered my services. He sounded relieved when he gave his hurried acceptance and thanks. Maybe that was the answer to my hunting turtle quandary, but then again, maybe that was just him.

We left not long after extinguishing the fire, returning the blanket to my make shift bed, and grabbing my canteen. I led the way into the forest, the weather was much better than the previous day. It was still much colder than was comfortable for my companion, but he didn’t complain. We agreed to walk in silence until we found prey worth bagging for his family. My thoughts ran amuck. This was the first time I had ever encountered anyone that I actually liked. It was such a shame that I would have to give him up, likely never to see him again. The vision I had about us flashed back to me and I silently mourned for the love I had to kill even before our weak semblance of a friendship could take root. 

As luck would have it, a large buck wandered at the edge of a clearing we were coming up on. I was about to silently warn him when he crouched down and slowly tore his eyes away from the prize to watch my next move. Creeping through the dense tree coverage towards the deer on my silent cat feet, I made sure to remain downwind. As its antlers dipped towards the ground, I got within pouncing range, took a few extra seconds to judge the distance, and crouched lower. I had to put a conscious effort into not wiggling before my pounce; I didn’t want my reputation to be tarnished by something so silly. Before the creature could even blink, I had landed on its back, my jaws latched firmly around its throat efficiently suffocating it, while I forced the creature to the ground. After ensuring the kill was actually dead, I stood and turned back the way I came. It looked like my audience was somewhat lost in thought, but he quickly thanked me with a guarded expression that hurt me more than I could have anticipated. Did I offend him? My only possible discretion I could recall was stating my preference for his family’s safety over his physical presence. His cold manner towards me was probably for the best anyways. Maybe it would hurt less in the long run for both of us.

\----------------

Donnie felt his heart flutter at her stealthy approach; she had agility enough to make even Leo, who was known for his poise, jealous. She was elegance, kindness, and beauty all wrapped up in one gloriously soft and fluffy package. It hurt his heart knowing he had to let her go. He snapped out of it by the time she moved to stand over her gift to his family with nary a tuft of fur out of place. No, this was not going to happen. Not again. These feelings were what started him down his path of heart ache in the first place. It had been love at first sight then too and look where that got him. He needed to get ahold of himself; she already rejected him, in fact she insisted he needed to forget about her. Sure, her expressions and actions hinted that she cared for him and would miss him, but she already made her point of view clear. Well, if it was distance she wanted, then that was exactly what she would get.

He took up the responsibility of dragging the carcass back while she led the way telling him all about the forest she called home. She described the beauty of the flowering apple trees she harvested from, she told him about the time she protected her fresh kill from a territorial black bear, and she also warned him of a dangerously large pack of coyotes she had been monitoring in the area. That type of canine normally didn’t hunt in large groups often, but she had witnessed this pack doing just that. She made him promise to tell his family and friends to stay cautious when outdoors. Throughout the rest of the journey, he barely said a handful of words in response to the cat’s rambling, mostly acknowledging her words with a nod or hum, very occasionally an actual word, short and clipped. 

It was only slightly before Kitty stopped with a sigh that Don had started to recognize the natural landmarks surrounding the O’Neil property. “I know you’re upset with me, and I’m sorry that it has to be this way. But this is what’s best for everyone involved. I don’t want to paint a target on any of you if the EPF finds out you know about me.” He harrumphed, the minimal response obviously disapproving before she continued. “This is where I leave you, just keep heading in that direction. I’m glad I got to meet you even if it wasn’t under the best circumstances. I hope life is kind to you and you find what you’re looking for.” He sighed deeply head bowing trying to will away the moisture from his eyes. By time he regained control she was gone. There was much he’d wanted to say to her but he knew he had missed his opportunity. What was new?

He trudged on, the heavy feelings from before his forest adventure returned with a vengeance and it wasn’t long before he broke through the tree line. It was only moments later that he heard his name called by a familiar voice before his family rushed to greet him with joy and relief, their friends a short distance behind. After quickly assuring he was unharmed and agreeing to report on his perilous outing later, Leo and Raph claimed the responsibility of preparing the deer and the newly returned brother rushed off to attend to the power issue. On his way to the main breaker box he was surprised to hear Casey quickly approaching and shouting for his attention. If the volunteer repair turtle was surprised by the human’s recognition, then he was bewildered by the guy’s awkward apology. Until he realized April must have put him up to it. He was quite proud of the tact he showed in convincing the young man that it was all water under the bridge before turning back towards his task in silent dismissal. Glad to finally be alone again with limited chance of someone asking tricky questions, he got to work finding the problem, happy to have a distraction from thoughts of Kitty and the tall tale he would have to cultivate.


	6. Signs of a Struggle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite Donatello's best effort, the cat's out of the bag.

“Hey Raph,” Leonardo sounded lost in thought as he called. Raphael grunted in question, just finishing up skinning the animal that would be the main dish for their next few meals. “How would you bring down a deer this big if you were Donnie?”

The red masked turtle thought for a couple seconds before replying, “Hm, well, he has his bo staff, maybe some shuriken, not many options. I could risk the shuriken not bringing it down. Using the bo would mean I’d have to hope I could sneak up on it and not get kicked. I guess I’d hit the button for the naginata and use that.” The spear-like form of his brother’s staff was probably the most efficient method. He finished his task by time he realized what the leader was asking and turned to meet his blue eyes. There wasn’t a stab or slash on that deer. How did their brother bag this buck? Both of them moved in closer to inspect the body.

After a thorough once-over, Leo spoke up, “The only real wounds on this deer were some cuts on its back and a few puncture marks on the throat. At first I thought they were from him dragging it back, but look at how the ones on the back are grouped together with a bruise right behind each set and the holes in the throat are in line with the bruising there. It’s really strange placement. That can’t be a coincidence, right? It’s obvious the deer was strangled, those puncture wounds weren’t deep enough to kill and the spine seems like it’s still intact. So what would Donnie have used? I was thinking maybe the wire from his grappling hook, but there’s nothing on the back of the neck, no bruised muscle or anything. Choking out the deer bare handed wouldn’t explain the holes and that bruise doesn’t look like anything his staff would have made.” Their eyes met again.

“Ya know it was pretty weird that he ran off so fast after he just got back, almost like he was avoiding us or, oh, I don’t know, hiding something.” The shorter turtle mused, his expression turning sour. “I’d think after a near death experience he’d be a little happier to see us.”

“Okay, so it’s not just me then.”

Raph shook his head in chagrin. “So how’re we doin’ this, fearless?” 

“It’s obvious he doesn’t want to tell us something and he’s stubborn enough to try hiding whatever’s going on, not to mention he’s been so evasive lately. I say we see what he says at dinner, we can’t let him run out on us again. If his story doesn’t fit with what we found here then we confront him on the spot. We’ll just have to play it by ear after.” Leo’s last remark trailed off as he hoped his straying brother wouldn’t prove too difficult.

\----------------

Donatello was expecting the third degree level of questioning when he sat down with everyone for dinner. What he wasn’t expecting was the direct, pointed, and almost accusatory interrogation from Leo and Raph. They were exceptionally sharp witted and keen to pick apart every last bit of his cover story to the point that the rest of the dinner party was becoming suspicious also. Don knew that his vague chronology of the past day wasn’t going to cut it. He had been attempting to avoid outright lies, but after Leo questioned exactly how he managed to kill the deer he knew he was caught. It was a matter or fight or flight now and in a situation like this it was always easier to try to get away. He hadn’t quite been finished eating, but with the quickly changing atmosphere in the room his appetite was starting to evaporate anyways. “I don’t really see why it matters how I killed it! I’m exhausted from my whole ordeal and getting tired of playing twenty questions; so if you don’t mind, I’m going to bed now.” Donnie bitingly exerted before sliding his chair back and standing.

Before he could so much as pick up a foot, Raphael was on his feet, chair clattering behind him as his open palms slammed on the table. He shouted furiously, “And we’re tired of you avoiding us and hiding things!” The two brothers were locked in a stare down each waiting for the other’s next move.

Leonardo sighed quietly drawing their attention, “Will you both please sit down so we can calmly and rationally discuss this.” He patiently waited for his brothers to follow his lead before continuing. “Look Donnie, you could have died last night and we’re all worried about you. I know you’re still upset by whatever happened out there, but we all care and we’re here for you.” Leo knew he was slowly breaking down his secretive brother’s walls by the regretful bordering on mournful look in his eyes.

“We just wanna help, D,” Mikey added softly drawing the sad gaze his way.

Just like that Donnie hung his head, he knew he had lost. With a silent apology to his newest acquaintance, he admitted defeat, “The reason I couldn’t make it back before the storm yesterday wasn’t just because I was wandering mindlessly. I found someone while I was out, another mutant.” He was forced into silence by the sudden uproar of shock. After Leo finally got everyone settled again he continued. “We were both suspicious of each other at first, but if it wasn’t for her I would have frozen last night.” It was surprised silence that met him this time and after collecting his thoughts for a moment he told the truth, what really happened. He was interrupted a few times by questions which he patiently answered and then bombarded by even more when he finished. 

By the time everyone’s curiosity was satisfied stillness had fallen over all assembled. Raphael took it upon himself to break it, “So what now fearless? There’s a strange, possibly dangerous mutant living only a couple hours away. Not sure if I feel comfortable knowing she’s there without at least checking out the threat for myself.” 

Don was immediately uncomfortable with the idea, but before he could oppose, Leo spoke up, “She saved Don’s life; it would be dishonorable to grill her. But maybe a few of us could stop over to thank her and since we already happen to be there, ask her any questions we might have in a nonthreatening and neighborly way.” He glanced very meaningfully in Raph’s direction and received a nod of acceptance in return. 

Donatello’s next attempt at arguing was again cut off, “I can’t believe you agreed to hide this from us Donnie!” April scolded.

Casey continued the pattern of intercepting Don by inquiring after Leo, “So what’s the plan exactly for tomorrow? We still need to go to the store to restock the fridge.”

“I figure Raph, Donnie, and I can head out after breakfast. That should give us enough time to be back for dinner. The rest of you can either train or skip it for the day before April and Casey make a grocery run,” Leo postulated.

Mikey broke in this time, low-key excited to get some one-on-one time with the television while everyone was away, “We have food that’s still good, do you think you guys should take some as a thank you gift?” He shuddered dramatically before continuing, “Livin’ off nature sucks, and she’s been doin’ it for how long now? I know I’d appreciate somethin’ different.”

Smiling in fond encouragement, April agreed, “That’s a great idea Mikey, we’ll start collecting some tonight so it’ll be good to go when they’re ready to leave in the morning and we can pick up replacements tomorrow while Casey and I are out!” With that the two cleared their table settings and headed toward the kitchen to begin the endeavor.

Finally seeing his opening in the conversation, Donatello made his two cents known, “I really don’t like this; she made it clear that she wanted to be left alone. She saved my life; doesn’t that show she’s at least marginally trustworthy?”

“Stop worrying about it, Donnie,” Leo insisted, “I see her point in wanting to protect us as well as herself, but what’s done is done. We already know about her and you obviously care for her. We’ll talk everything over with her tomorrow.” He could see the obvious indecision in his brother’s eyes, not knowing whether to continue the debate or give in. “Why don’t you get some extra rest before we head out tomorrow? Casey or Raph can help me with dishes.” Knowing resistance was futile, Don gave up, called out his goodnights, and retreated to his room. 

Sleep did not come easily for him despite being worn out from the cold weather, abrupt awakening, and long day. He was still torn in half. He was glad to be given the chance to see Kitty again, but would she be glad as well? He had directly gone against her wishes. Besides that and regardless of whether or not she appreciated their next meeting, they would still have to be separated again, wouldn’t they? There was no way his brothers, let alone Kitty, would agree to her joining them in their home under the city. The guys would be too distrustful and she would be too nervous about being in such a populated area. That would mean their continued separation would be inevitable. 

This visit tomorrow would only serve to heighten his ridiculous infatuation with her and lead to an increase in heart ache on his end. There was also hoping his emotions weren’t obvious enough to reveal his hand to his brothers. He would have to endure endless teasing at least, to some mixture of pity and rebuke on the matter at worst. Maybe his best option would be to just keep quiet and closed off. It would ruin any slim chance of getting her to join them, but it might be better for his future emotional state. What’s a little pain now if it meant not going through the anguish of a severed deeper attachment? 

Then again, what if he was able to convince them that her inclusion would be desirable for everyone? He winced at the sudden throb in his chest at the sweet prospect. He would finally have someone. He would have the chance to rid himself of this accursed loneliness. Maybe he’d be happy again. Or maybe it wouldn’t work at all and he would be hurt even worse. The indecision was crippling and here he was, back at square one. His fatigue finally bested him and as he drifted off he resolved to make his decision tomorrow, they had a long walk ahead of them after all.

\----------------

Donatello still had no idea how to approach any of this and they were rapidly approaching their destination. Breakfast had gone smoothly albeit with a touch of nervous energy in anticipation of the day’s activities. The sun was out and the air was warmer than it had been in the last several days, much more conducive to the journey. With the knapsack of food slung over his shoulder, he led his brothers into the clearing where Kitty had captured the deer, where they all simultaneously came to an abrupt halt.

They had startled a rather large murder of crows and in their wake they left just over a half dozen coyote corpses in various stages of dismemberment along with an unbelievable amount of blood strewn over the entire meadow’s worth of disturbed snow. All three turtles were immediately on full alert. Donnie and Leo swiftly examined the corpses while Raph started looking around the area for clues as to what happened. 

After some back and forth between them, they all agreed the coyotes were collateral damage from a fight between the pack and something much larger. Despite the corpses having been picked over by the crows, a few bite and claw marks were still visible. One of them had even been mostly eaten by the larger predator. Raph was helpful in pointing out some comparatively larger paw prints that were clearly different from the coyote’s along with clumps of fur that didn’t seem to match that of the canines. 

A feeling of dread washed over Don as he realized the shape and size of the imprints and coloration of the fur would be a suitable match to his new found companion and informed the others as much. Further proving his tracking abilities, Raphael pointed out the swerving, uneven trail of tracks and scattered blood drops that were headed out of the clearing as well as some shredded and bloodied cloth. Donatello felt nauseous with panic as he recognized her outfit and the direction of the trail. He took off at full speed towards Kitty’s territory leaving his brothers to catch up.


	7. Licking the Wounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo, Raph, and Donnie find Kitty all hecked up.

The journey back to my den after the attack was harrowing, not to mention beyond exhausting. I had to take multiple breaks on the way to catch my breath and tend to all the bleeding. Rolling the rock out of my doorway and back again had me running on empty, in bodily fluid as well as energy wise. I had been extremely lucky not to succumb to blood loss in my sleep. I groggily awoke once to drain my water bottle, but fell asleep again almost instantly. I slightly roused from my daze as the yelling I’d been hearing for a while now had grown closer. Two obviously masculine voices occasionally called out for Donatello, while he, much more anxiously, called out to me. I wasn’t in much of a state to think about the noise, only enough to wish they would quiet enough for me to drift back into the respite of a painless slumber. It wasn’t long before the shouts resounded from just beyond my den though. As the rock at the entryway started to shift, I didn’t bother to attempt any movement besides tilting my head towards the sound.

As the familiar figure I had begun acclimating to entered, I weakly smiled at him, ignoring the horrified visage he wore. “The blood loss must have me hallucinating. I wasn’t expecting visitors.” My words came out rough, between the damage to my throat and the way my mouth felt bone dry, I wasn’t surprised. Anguish replaced his horror as a rasping cough shook me and he swiftly approached, kneeling by my prone body draped atop the nest we’d shared only the night before last.

I knew I must look quite the sight. I had more contusions than I could possibly attempt to count, I sure as hell could feel every single one of them though. Some of the shallower claw marks and cuts had begun healing and were starting to itch, but the majority of the wounds, however, were deep puncturing bites or slices that were still raw and any careless motion could easily start them bleeding again. Add on top of that the bits of dried blood where lesions had already reopened as well as patches of missing fur and I was sure I warranted his distress. “Hey, look on the bright side; at least we don’t have to worry about those coyotes anymore, right?” I finished with a rasping chuckle that left him reeling away looking for my canteen. Finding it empty he immediately rushed to fill it from my dwindling clean water supply.

Before he could attempt to hand it over, I spoke again, “Help me sit up please?” He didn’t argue as he cautiously approached, analyzing the best way to assist without causing any additional pain or further damage. I didn’t give him time to decide. I feebly raised my arm towards him and thankfully he was quick to take my hand and gently pull as I pushed off on my opposite elbow to achieve the perfect balance of gentle strength needed to get me up-righted. It only hurt a lot, but I managed to keep any groans internalized. He handed me the water once I was seated having still not said a word. I drank gratefully as I glanced towards the illuminated opening of my home, debating whether his silence was from shock or if he was still upset with me. 

I had almost forgotten about the other voices until I saw their owners peeking in at us uncomfortably. “Huh, even more company, this is unprecedented. Not much room for entertaining in here I’m afraid.” I turned back to the turtle at my side, “Would you be so kind as to help me get outside?” Hesitating, he made it clear that the thought of moving me did not sit well with him. I gave my best pleading eyes and he caved with a long suffering sigh. As he supported me in my endeavor of vacating my cave, the new turtles’ eyes widened as my gnarled form was revealed to them. The one in the blue mask quickly stepped forward to offer his aid while the other in red stepped back to give us room to maneuver before Donatello asked him to fetch a blanket for me from the pile inside, knowing the loss of blood would leave me abnormally cold. By the time I was huddled on my fallen log, a blanket was hastily thrown around my shoulders, a sack dropped at my feet, and Donatello began the process of starting a fire. Once he knew the blaze was strong enough to survive on its own, he took a seat close beside me, helping to keep me in place with little effort on my part. Introductions began as the other two sat across the fire on a low, wide, flat-topped slab of rock I had used to cool my water just yesterday.

“Guys, this is Kitty; Kitty this is Leonardo and Raphael.” The familiar brother gestured to the blue and red masked ones respectively. As I nodded my welcome to them, I finally noticed their weapons and realized just how out of it I truly was. At my peak of performance I would have identified any possible threats before they could get near enough to be implemented. I didn’t want to think about what would have happened in anyone besides the turtle brothers had been the ones to find me in this state, but I was soon pulled from my thoughts. 

“Please, call me Leo, it’s nice to finally meet you. From what Donnie told us it sounds like we really owe you one, you saved his life, brought him home, and took down that prize buck.”

“Oh, it was really no problem-”

Raphael interrupted with a sharp tone, “Yeah, I don’t buy that. Don said himself he probably wouldn’t have made it if you hadn’t helped out. And it sure as shit looks like a problem when you can’t sit up or even walk out here on your own.” His ire reminded me of the short description of him I had learned the day prior: hotheaded, but ultimately loyal and caring in his own way. 

Donatello responded before I could, which I was honestly fine with since I wasn’t sure what to say to that anyway. “Leo said neighborly, muscle head, try again.” 

The alleged ‘muscle head’ snarled at the insult, but lowered to a simmer at the elbow and throat clearing he received from the leader sitting next to him. “So what happened with those coyotes? He said you wanted us warned about them.” He didn’t really apologize for discretely calling me a liar, but from what I had heard about him I decided I shouldn’t really expect one.

“Not much to tell, I was on my way back yesterday when they ambushed me. It was my fault really; I should have been paying closer attention. They were out hunting and I practically waltzed up to them.”

“You’re a pretty skilled fighter to fend off seven,” Leo spoke up.

“No, I’m a very skilled fighter to kill seven and chase off the other four.” I smugly quipped.

Shock colored all of their expressions as Donatello remarked, “You said there were a lot of them, I never would have guessed there were that many together.”

“That was just the hunting party.” I softly replied, “I’m sure they have their young and elderly hid away somewhere.” 

Raphael let out a low whistle at that; I liked to think I had impressed him. For some reason I wanted to be respected by my prospective friend’s family; I wanted their acceptance. Why was this suddenly so important to me? I was again brought out of my own head as he continued, indicating the bag at my feet, “It’s a good thing that Mikey insisted we bring you some food then, as a thank you; said you’d probably be tired of eating nature food. He and April were pretty excited about it.” Raph grumbled awkward and begrudgingly, or maybe he was embarrassed at physically saying the words ‘thank you’. 

“Your other brother and human friend,” I intoned in awe over the fact that complete strangers would want to help me, one of them human no less. “Wow, I really appreciate it! I won’t be hunting anytime soon and my stock will be taking a heavy hit for a while. This means a lot to me, would you mind telling them I said thanks?”

Leo sedately countered “Sure, but I figured you’d want to tell them yourself when you get to the house.” He smirked slightly at the wide range of reactions his remark had garnered. 

Raph rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath only Leo could hear. I stared with narrowed suspicious eyes. Donatello choked on nothing but his own breath before he was capable of sputtering out, “She is in no condition to be traveling!”

Turning his ever widening, kind smile towards his brother’s outburst, he explained himself. “Obviously, that’s why you’ll stay and help her out until she is ready.” When all he received in response was our matching slack jawed stares he happily stood, looking quite proud of himself. “Well Raph, we should get out of her fur so she can rest and heal up. Donnie, text every once in a while so we know you guys are okay out here and if you need anything I’m sure we can find our way back.” And as quick as they came, they were gone, leaving Donatello and I dumbfounded.

\----------------

Once the pair of brothers had put enough distance between themselves and the camp Raphael couldn’t help but question his brother’s previous words. “You sure that was a good idea inviting her back to the farmhouse? We only know what Donnie told us about her. What if all of that was a lie? If she can take on a pack of wild animals like that, what do you think she could do to us if she caught us napping?”

Leonardo shrugged, “Well, she wasn’t lying about the coyotes.” The turtle next to him grumbled in disapproval prompting him to continue. “I don’t know what to tell you Raph. So far she’s done nothing to make me doubt her. I don’t have all the answers, I just did what I thought was right. It’s clear that Donnie cares about her and that’s good enough for me. Once she joins us we can keep an eye on her, ask questions about her past and see if she raises any warning flags. We are ninja after all; we should be able to hold our own.”

“I hope you’re right,” the red banded brother groaned in defeat. “It has been a long time since I’ve seen him like that.”

“He deserves another chance to be happy with someone. Maybe we’ll all get lucky and everything will work out with her.”

Raph’s frown deepened as if he were scowling at the future itself, “It better for her sake.”

\----------------

Donatello had shaken off the bewilderment not long after his brothers left in a whirlwind. He wasn’t sure how to take what had just happened. Should he have argued with Leo about this, did he want to? What about Kitty, did she even want his help let alone company? Did Leo intend for her to join their little group? Did he want that; did she? 

Leo had taken the decision away from him and that left his emotions to run amuck. He wanted to be angry with the leader for not discussing this with them. He was still reeling from the extent of Kitty’s injuries: the absolute dread of previously not knowing if she had survived the fight, half expecting to find her lifeless body collapsed along the path, the stomach churning guilt of knowing that if she hadn’t guided him in the first place she would have been fine, the self-righteous I-told-you-so bubbling in the back of his throat wanting to point out if she had just let him introduce her in the first place she might not have been attacked. Most of all he was frustrated with himself for being wrapped around her claw as soon as she was within arm’s reach again. 

Well, just because he was going through emotional turmoil didn’t mean he couldn’t at least be productive. Turning to his involuntary companion he asked, “When was the last time you ate? You need the extra energy to heal, feel free to help yourself to everything in the bag.” Before she could reply he headed towards her den in search of her water purifying setup. As he collected the snow to begin the process, he paused, glancing in her direction, noting her troubled expression. “You know,” he hesitantly started, “if you don’t want me here or aren’t comfortable with Leo’s plan, you can say so. He shouldn’t have…I don’t want you to feel forced into any of this.”

When her eyes met his he could tell she was seriously overwhelmed. It would seem that he wasn’t the only one having doubts about this situation. “No, I’m… you can stay…it’s just a lot right now. Very sudden, I don’t really know what I want or how to feel about the offer.”

“It sounds like I’ll be here for a while if you want to talk about it.” After the snow began to melt, he sat close to Kitty again, snagging the bag off the ground and opening it, hoping to entice her to choose something and eat. “No pressure.”

The gratitude and warmth she showed at that had his heart kicking into overdrive while his brain went fuzzy around the edges, until her shoulders slumped with indecision and upset. “You’ve been so kind to me, and I don’t know if I deserve it, I feel bad about the way we parted last time. I thought I was doing what was best for us all, but it never sat right with me.” She used the snack bag as an excuse to avoid eye contact, pawing through the contents. “And of course, the road goes both ways; if you don’t want to stay here you can tell Leo I sent you away again. I don’t want you to feel forced either.”

“If I have any say in the matter, I’d prefer to be here. The others can be suffocating even though they mean well, the change in scenery and open air is more than welcome.” Wait he preferred it here? Or was it that he preferred being here with her? Why did this have to be so confusing?

She pulled out a box of cheese flavored snack crackers, which he opened for her before she could even ask. “And that right there is part of my dilemma. It’s been a long time since I was cooped up in a group of people, I don’t know how I’ll react. I’m uncomfortable just thinking about it. Not to mention the fact that a couple of them are human. I’m a bit worried my past training will kick in and I’ll go after them like I almost did to you yesterday. Even if my reaction isn’t as extreme I doubt my past experience with the species will let me be at ease around them.” 

The lynx poured some of the crackers out onto her blanket before tasting one with a very cat like delighted ‘mrrrr’. Donnie had forgotten that she hadn’t had these before, or if she had the memories of it were long gone. “You were able to tell when you were getting into dangerous territory before, mentally speaking; you don’t think that would happen in this situation?”

She crunched greedily through a fist full of crackers before answering. “I don’t know how I’ll react. I haven’t been in the same room as a human in so long. The last ones I came across I scared out of the woods for camping too close. I didn’t talk to them or interact with them in any positive means.”

“I’m sure everyone will agree to move slowly to let you acclimate, start out from a distance, let you move at your pace.” His mind was already formulating plans for her visit as he helped himself to the contents of the box. “If all else fails, I’ve seen you in that state, we could work out some sort of abort mission plans if I see any symptoms.”

She took the box to pour another helping out, not having eaten since the incident, “I’d hate to put you in that position, what if I attack you? I don’t know if I’d ever forgive myself.”

“I won’t be alone; my brothers would jump in as needed. We are trained ninja. Besides, if I know my family, I’m sure a few of them would love the opportunity to hone their skills against you in a friendly spar. But, for what it’s worth, I’d forgive you.” With those last words the sweetest smile broke over her face and he knew right then and there that he would move the stars to keep her by his side. It was official, he had made up his mind and he wouldn’t fight these feelings anymore. It might be a little early to clue her in on them as of yet, but he could lay the ground work. He had learned a lot from his past experience with attempting to woo a female, and being with Kitty felt effortless, like some hidden instincts finally came into play concerning her. 

His train of thought came to a halt as her ears flattened, tongue popped out, and canines went on full show in a gaping yawn. Could she get any more adorable? He immediately began closing up the crackers and moved to help her back to her nest. She was on the same page as she carefully shrugged off the blanket to make movement easier as Donnie carefully helped her get up and on the move again.

By the time she made it to her den she was a shaking, exhausted, sore mess. “You have been the best pain killer. I’m glad you broke your promise and came back.”

His head whipped down to find the hint of a playful expression hiding behind the tired pain and his rising uncertainty faded. “Glad to know I’m good for something then,” he chuckled with a smirk. “I’ll finish filtering that water, you get some rest.”


	8. Trial Period

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donatello and Kitty make preparations as she continues to heal.

It had only taken a couple days for even my deepest wounds to heal enough to allow for easy, if not stiff, movement. I jokingly told Donnie it was because he took such good care of me. He seemed a bit flustered at that, but I don’t think he truly believed me, and I wasn’t ready to reveal the true cause just yet. But in all seriousness, he was an excellent nurse, very attentive and knowledgeable of all things injury related, saying it was from dealing with so many of his siblings’ afflictions. After seeing that excessively gentle side of him it came as no surprise to me that my slight feelings from before had begun to take root and flourish. 

During our third morning of breakfast fish fry courtesy of my dear turtle companion, we discussed our plans for the day. It was decided that we would go for a walk to test my strength and energy levels in preparation for the much longer hike back to the farmhouse, since I was progressing so promisingly. After some innocent and less than innocent flirting, we proceeded with the walk, heading out from my camp for a short distance before turning to circle around it just in case my energy flagged too quickly for me to make it back without help. This was apparently just what the doctor ordered. It felt great to stretch my legs and after a bit of convincing, a short jog felt even better. 

After well over an hour we were relatively close to one of my favorite ponds in the area that I insisted he had to see before we turned back. He caved, not bothering to fight me on the matter since the escapade had been successful thus far. We were quickly approaching when a soft warble caught my attention. I silently alerted Donatello before instinctively moving into a crouch and stalking forward on all fours. I could smell the curiosity wafting off of him. It was clear he hadn’t heard my prey yet, but it was nice to know he trusted me enough not to verbally question me, instead loosely and silently follow behind.

Once I judged I was in proper range I signaled for him to stay while I prepared to strike. With my muscles at the very beginning of fatigue after having been stiff from healing for so long I couldn’t keep the wiggle out of my hind end before my pounce. After a flutter of its wings and a cut-off, panicked gobble, the wild turkey was dispatched. 

I was a little rueful standing back to full height and returning to my partner, the kill had been sloppy. Usually it would have been a silent take down and if my quarry was far enough away from its kin, I could still go after another. My train of thought was derailed by the new scent coming off my friend. He apparently saw the butt wiggle and was…appreciative. Our eyes met, and if my olfactory sensitivity wasn’t what it was, his gaze would have tipped me off to his new found interest. I could feel my body beginning to respond to the pheromones he was releasing but now was neither the time nor the place. 

I cleared my throat gently and averted my attention as my ears pulled back and my tail tucked itself close to me. Right, clothes, I should probably dig out my spare outfit, my wounds were healed enough that the light rubbing wouldn’t be a bother and they might calm the air between us when we returned. My subtle reminder worked nonetheless and with a nervous hitch in his voice he congratulated me on my kill.

The walk back was quiet and held a tinge of awkwardness, but it gave us both space to think through the repercussions of what had just happened. It was obvious there was a mutual attraction shared between us and we were both aware of it now. The playful teasing from earlier may have had more weight to it than previously assumed. The options now boiled down to inactivity by leaving the incident unacknowledged, or action. It was too early for my sensibilities to make a power move and take him how my body was begging me to. But would it be so bad to talk it out, question whether his reaction had been a simple case of seeing something he liked and reacting accordingly, or if there was something more potent behind it. Could we be sharing deeper feelings as well as the lustful ones from before? We had only known each other a handful of days, was it appropriate to question him? My time spent alone had been detrimental to me in this regard, I wasn’t sure on how to handle this socially. 

There was also the matter of his short-term visit. He would be leaving eventually. His possible affection for me most likely wouldn’t outweigh his allegiance to his family, and even if it did it wouldn’t be fair to him or to anyone else involved to make him choose. I hated to be presumptuous, but I felt I had to ponder the possibility of me accompanying them; after all Leo had to have some hidden intention behind inviting me around their group and I hadn’t been blind to the others’ reactions, they weren’t expecting the invitation either. My best chance at having anything between Donatello and myself work would be to overcome my social anxieties, prove that I wouldn’t be a danger or hindrance, and possibly win over the rest of them. I decided that perhaps patience would be favorable. Wait to see how his family and I interact and then go from there; if it looks as though I won their favor then confronting Donnie would be reasonable.

Upon returning, I left Donatello to restart the fire from my diminishing stack of wood so I could find my spare clothing, another sports bra and pair of shorts, I never bothered collecting anything that would be too constricting or cause me to overheat. Once that was sorted I attended to the turkey. I sang softly to myself while I let my claws go on autopilot; after many years of perfecting my craft, the bird was cleaned and ready for cooking in no time. As I lapped the leftover blood and gore from my claws I turned to find my turtle watching me intently. With the scent of my kill strong in my nose, it was left to his eyes to let on to how hungry he was for something other than turkey. Damn, guess the clothes didn’t help as much as I’d hoped. I hesitated in uncertainty for a moment, just enough for him to school his features into something more approachable. I ignored my rising temperature as much as possible, confidently propelling myself forward and hoping fervently that the sleeping arrangement that night wouldn’t become too uncomfortable with the developing tension. 

Arranging the meat to begin cooking, I perched myself next to the male, “So, I think the outing was a success. I’m not nearly as stiff as I had been and by tomorrow my energy levels should be even closer to normal.”

He hummed in approval, “I’m glad you’re feeling better. We’ll see how you are in the morning before we decide to head out, unless you’ve changed your mind.”

“No, the sooner we go the better. If I go feral before I’m fully healed I’ll end up injuring myself and save you the trouble.” I kept my growing smirk as subtle as possible, wanting to press his buttons to see what kind of reaction I’d get. I was in a chipper mood. He sputtered out half replies in an exasperated manner until I could no longer contain my bubbling laughter. He was soothed considerably at that and ended with a bemused half smirk by the time I had also calmed. “Don’t worry,” I insisted patting his hand resting between us on the log, “I don’t intend to intentionally hurt myself, or any of you for that matter.”

“That’s a relief,” he sighed with a small smile. I had to suppress a gasp at his forwardness when he flipped his hand over, catching mine in the process. “I’ve been keeping Leo informed of our concerns about your visit. He and the others have been formulating a game plan to keep everyone as comfortable and safe as possible.” I can’t help but be reminded how foreign such kindness is to me. I was taken aback at every instance and still unsure how to respond. Nervous energy rippled through me. I knew it was much too early to check on dinner, but I needed something to focus on. Sensing my unrest Donnie gently squeezed my paw, I forgot it was still in his possession. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m not accustomed to others being so nice to me. I have a hard time trusting it.” Glancing up at him with a face full of self-doubt, I saw his brows furrow in sorrow for my plight. “I want to trust you, them. I’m tired of being alone.”

Before I could even process the motion, I was pulled into a firm embrace. “We’ll just have to make sure everything goes as planned. I know they’ll like you once they get to know you.” His softly breathed words tickled the fur of my ears making them twitch lightly.

Wrapping my arms around his shell, I huddled farther into him as the implications of his words caused emotion to swell in my heart. I wanted so badly for them to be true, but I was equally as horrified of my potential failure if I couldn’t control myself and the others deemed me unworthy. The conflicting sentiments continued to fill me until they started silently spilling from my eyes. I couldn’t recall the last time I cried. Through the entirety of my past trauma, I couldn’t remember inner turmoil like this. The warm glow of joy at having someone I loved held close, the grief of everything I knew being left behind, and the worry that I would be sequestered back to the familiar and away from my hopes and desires, all coalesced into a confusing jumble until I lost control. 

If Donatello hadn’t been there to keep me together I would have been ripped apart by the unfamiliar sensations making their escape. As it was he continued to hold my now quaking form and whisper gentle reassurance into my tightly folded back ears until I was able to regain my composure. Sensing my quieted soul, he released me to finish gluing my fractured pieces back in place while he turned the bird over. As he reclaimed his seat beside me, I wiped the last of my tears away before turning back to him with an unsteady grin, “So, what sort of plans are they hatching for us?” Everything returned to normal with his big heartfelt smile and he began outlining what Leo had texted.

After a short time, dinner was properly cooked, thankfully not burned from inattention due to my outburst, and our meal commenced in peace. We exchanged ideas to complement those prearranged for us well into the night before finally turning in after a long exhausting day. We were inseparable through the night; bound and determined to enjoy what was potentially our last night in the solitude of my den. It was safe to say neither of us had slept better in our lives. 

We awoke the next morning softly in our combined happiness which lasted throughout a leisurely breakfast and it was decided that I was strong enough to travel and his family was ready to accommodate me. The trek was long as we proceeded unhurriedly and the inclusion of several restful breaks to regain my strength and energy made the trek all the lengthier. I still couldn’t help but grow more nervous the closer we got to our destination. 


	9. Meet and Greet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kitty meets the family.

As the day of the big meeting progressed, Mikey grew unbearably, hyperactively excited. The others had been in long drawn out talks for the entirety of the late afternoon and continuing after dinner about necessary arrangements for Kitty’s arrival, which was apparently delayed. Donatello had texted earlier informing the group that the going would be slow as his companion had overexerted herself the day before and was subsequently quick to tire. Mikey could easily sum up his part in the proceedings with ‘chill out around her and don’t get in her space without warning or permission or whatever’. The rest was all snoresville. After a while, everyone could take only so much of his boundless enthusiasm and ensuing mayhem before he and Ice Cream Kitty were unceremoniously thrown from the house, his winter gear tossed out close behind. 

The sudden almost violent change of scenery didn’t bother him as he hurried to don his equipment in the dimming light of the approaching dusk and energetically ran circles around the property in the name of keeping look out for his brainy brother and mysterious new friend. He couldn’t wait to meet her! She must be pretty awesome to catch his bummed out brother’s heart so quickly. Leo and Raph had made it plenty clear that he was absolutely head over heels for the cat and personally he couldn’t be happier. Donnie always did so much for the rest of them and didn’t ask for hardly anything in return, he deserved someone to make him happy again, like back when they first met April, so he was ecstatic to meet this new flame.

It wasn’t long before Mikey’s attention was focused elsewhere, easily distracted by anything and everything. Ice Cream Kitty’s warning yowl quickly brought his attention to the figures emerging from the surrounding trees. With the instant reignition of his excitement, all prior instructions were forgotten in favor of scrambling to pull his brother and new friend into a strangling hug. The latter stiffened and went stock-still as the former began to worm out of the embrace. Mikey began his too-fast chattering phase as he ignored the taller turtle prying him off of the new girl. “Took you guys long enough, me and Ice Cream Kitty were keeping look out for you! We were so worried when Leo and Raph got back and said you looked like a chew toy for those flea bags. We’re glad you’re getting better and finally made it, aren’t we ICK? Did you eat all the food we packed for you? Did you like it? What was your favorite? Where’s your overnight bag?”

He was halted in his verbal tirade by a low, “Come on, seriously Mikey,” from Donnie before he remembered what he’d been told. 

Fully drawing away from his unintended assault, he apologetically rubbed at the back of his head with a small, chuckled, “Oops.” He was saved from his awkwardness by the arrival of the rest of the group, Leo offered him an overly-critical look, Raphael a light flick to his head, Casey smugly laughed at him, and April calmly trailed behind the rest. Leonardo was quick to take the lead as he greeted his brother, welcomed Kitty, and set about with introductions which she returned with silent nods and timid smiles. By that point the humans were beginning to get cold, the once solitary lynx appeared to be as relaxed as possible, and seeing as first contact went about as well as could be hoped for, everyone headed back inside. 

Mikey almost collided with his new furry friend when she hesitated before looking to him. Having already accepted her reserved nature, he was surprised when she finally spoke, answering his flood of questions from earlier. “I did like the food you and April packed for me, thank you. Donatello and I did eat it all, and my favorites were the cheese crackers and the chocolate bars. Oh, I really liked the box of cookies too. I didn’t bring an overnight bag since I wasn’t sure if I’d be staying.” A true smile had graced her features as she talked about the food, diminishing a bit as did her speech. 

“Not staying? Did you want to leave that soon?” He was bewildered.

“It wasn’t so much that I didn’t want to stay, I just didn’t know if I could handle being around so many of you. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in close quarters with others.”

“Yeah, that’s what D said, that’s why we cleaned up the attic, so you’d have someplace away from everybody and wouldn’t feel cramped!” He proudly announced as he started for the house once more. He caught her look of awed gratitude before she almost tripped over herself catching up to him. It took him off guard when she threw her arms around him in a tight fluffy hug. She said nothing, but Mikey had always been pretty good at reading body language and took the affection for what it was, and he knew her hugs would be among his favorites, as warm and soft as she was. 

When Kitty pulled away, he urged her into the house as he started listing all the TV shows, movies, comics, and video games he wanted her to see. Once inside, she was immediately overwhelmed. There were thousands of unfamiliar smells, multiple people were talking at once in small groups, and although her new surroundings were far roomier than her den, she felt terribly claustrophobic when they all convened in the dining room. Michelangelo immediately noticed when her steps faltered and she retreated into herself with ears lowered towards her skull, shoulders hunched almost defensively, and her tail tucked close to her body. 

She momentarily froze when he took her by the hand but was quick to recover and led her to the other side of the table where Leo and Donnie were talking. They noticed the uncomfortable posture of her approach. Leo took it upon himself to inquire, “You must be exhausted from the trip. If you’re tired, I’m sure Mikey wouldn’t mind showing you to your room. If not, we can warm dinner up for you.”

Her reply, though quiet, caused the rest of the room to grow silent to hear her, “Today took a lot more out of me than I figured it would; I think it would be best to turn in early tonight.” The others agreed, said their quick goodnights, and Mikey helpfully ushered her in the direction of the attic.

Upon entering her new quarters, she gave a pleased ‘mrr’ at the sight of a pile of freshly laundered blankets, towels, and pillows awaiting her. The scent of cleaning supplies and the occupants of the house had faded since their tidying endeavor; it was slight and tolerable compared to the lower floors and the sounds were minimal being so far removed from everyone on the main floor so far below. “This is perfect Mikey, more than I could have hoped for.” She turned to her new friend as the tenseness in her shoulders began to release and fatigue settled into the smile she wore.

He grinned happily and reached over to ruffle her ears, “Glad you like it!” He gave her directions to the bathroom for whenever the need should arise and exited wishing her sweet dreams. Finding herself alone, she took to the calming routine of a light grooming before snaking her way down into the center of her new nest. Lying awake immersed in her new surroundings, Kitty finally had the luxury of thinking on her touch-based vision power. When Mikey had taken her hand she saw the two of them sitting in front of the television, sometimes with controllers in hand, sometimes without; she saw visions of the lively turtle making a mess of a kitchen while she puttered behind him attempting to tidy up; but most importantly she felt a warmly glowing sibling bond that had been missing from her similar encounter with Donnie. Perhaps this power was more akin to premonitions, Mikey had mentioned shows and games earlier. She began drifting off thinking of friendly reptilian faces and warm embraces. 

Michelangelo was pleased as punch when he rejoined the rest of the group. He had returned just at the tail end of Donatello confirming to them that their newest addition was nervous and beyond exhausted, more than likely hungry, just too overwhelmed to do anything about it. All eyes turned to Mikey as he entered the room with a joyous recount of how happy the feline had been with her new accommodations. He announced his intentions to gather and warm some leftovers for her if Donnie would be so kind as to deliver them when he was finished, knowing she would be more comfortable with the familiarity of said brother. After the agreement was confirmed, the brains of the operation was left to finish his meal in peace as the rest trailed to the television to get something started for their nightly entertainment ritual.

Jerking awake, Kitty’s instincts were startled into full alert at the sounds of a creaking floor board near the pull down ladder that served as the entry to the attic. She was hit with the scent of food as an easily recognizable voice whispered into the darkness, “It’s just me; I thought you might be hungry.” Donatello’s words were met with a mild growl from her stomach and he chuckled as he approached, bathed in the moonlight shining through the sheer curtains covering the windows. At that point she didn’t know which looked better, the strapping male or the full plate he was carrying. With a delighted thank you from her, he handed over the dish and sat next to her as she began working over the meal with enthusiasm. 

Realization struck her and she paused several bites in, “Did you eat?” After an affirmative nod from the turtle, she continued at a more sedate pace remembering her manners. 

He broke the silence after a moment, “You did well today.” Receiving the raised brow of her pure skepticism he insisted, “What? You did! Sure, it took a little longer to get here, but considering what bad shape we found you in only a few days ago, the fact that you made it here on your own is medically quite astounding. And it seems you’ve faced your first bout of anxiety in the new environment successfully, there was no blood shed and with how frayed your nerves must have been after your long day you did well handling yourself.”

Humming in thought before clearing her mouth, she remarked, “I really owe your family for a lot of that. I’m not sure how I would have fared if they hadn’t been as thorough in preparing for me or as understanding as they have been.”

Donnie nodded again, “They’ve done well too. As I’ve said before, if you give them the chance, I’m sure they’ll love you.” His last sentence ended abruptly realizing too late that he almost tacked on the word ‘too’ at the end. He would have to remind himself to be patient with the pace of her inclusion into their group. He wanted to hurry along and acquire an invitation for her to come back to the city with them, but ultimately knew he should encourage the newcomer to go at her own pace and savor the time together.

Pulling himself from his reverie after a short spell, he gently took the recently cleared plate from his companion and headed towards the ladder. He debated what to say as a farewell, when her voice stopped him in his tracks. “You’re welcome to stay if you feel like it.” He wasn’t aware that the openly longing gaze he sent her way spoke volumes of his poorly hidden feelings for her. She was just glad that he wouldn’t have been able to see her light blush in the darkness, let alone through her fur. Setting her dish down by the entrance, he reverently made his way quietly back to her, not wanting to disturb anyone with the creaking boards again.

As she wormed her way farther into the nest, he slid in behind her, wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her closer, so her warm fur caressed him. They had both long since grown comfortable in their intimately shared sleeping arrangement. As they settled and Donnie fell asleep, Kitty heard the near silent breathing and heartbeat of yet another turtle in her new lair. A soft clink of cutlery on ceramic and his slow meandering scent let her know that Mikey had collected her dinnerware and slunk back down after spying in at them. Holding no ill will towards the invasion, she took note of the occurrence and fell into a far deeper sleep than before. 


	10. Experimentation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kitty's first full day at the farmhouse.

I woke early that morning, bleary and slightly disoriented, being ill prepared for the light of day to rouse me when I was so habituated to waking in the darkness of my cave. After thoroughly sensing my surroundings I found that not only was my nest-mate still asleep but the rest of the household likely was as well, or they were respectfully quiet in hopes of letting the other inhabitants rest. I figured now would be the best time to acclimate myself to the main floor of the house while I could get the time alone to do so without being bothered by the others. So, carefully and as silently as possible, I extricated myself from Donatello’s grasp; after a quick shake to return my fur to its rightful place, I made my way to the ladder. I took a few cursory sniffs around the landing under my room and the staircase connecting the main and second floor to come to the conclusion that I was the first awake.

My curious sniffing and cautious approach to investigating must have been amusing if the restrained chuckle from Leo and wide-eyed adoration from Mikey were anything to go by. I was rapidly concluding my exploration when they captured my attention. I rose uncomfortably from my crouch, somewhat chagrinned by the realization that they had probably been watching me creep around the living room for a while now. Ears flipping away from their fascinated gaze, I made a mental note that with everyone’s scent saturating every surface, I would have to pay closer attention to the freshness and concentration of those scents in order to keep anyone from sneaking up on me again. This was a house filled with ninja after all; I obviously couldn’t rely on my hearing. 

After gifting his morning greeting, the leader invited me to join him for a meditation session before breakfast. The lighter toned brother quickly offered the alternative of helping him in the kitchen prepping the aforementioned meal. Feeling the need to work for my keep, I politely declined the blue masked turtle and accompanied the other into the kitchen. I was immediately put to work fetching ingredients, setting the table, and cleaning up the multitude of messes Mikey left in his wake. It wasn’t long before April appeared to check on our progress and start a pot of coffee, Donnie making his presence known a few minutes after the percolating stopped. They both poured themselves mugs of the dark liquid, further permeating the putridly bitter scent into the air and causing my nose to scrunch in disgust. They sat at the table and chatted amicably until Mikey announced breakfast was ready. The woman left to fetch the still sleeping duo upstairs as I heard Leo begin to stir from his seated pose on the rug in the front room.

Breakfast was a calm affair, the group making idle conversation between mouthfuls, for the most part. I sat at the corner of the table as to avoid feeling crowded by those more unfamiliar to me, with Donnie and Mikey at either of my sides putting a buffer between myself and the humans at the table. Silently I ate while listening and learning what I could from the others, not feeling comfortable enough to attempt injecting myself into the many conversations being held around me. They were mostly discussing the day’s itinerary and if any of them noticed my muteness, they kindly allowed me to keep it, not that I had much to interject with anyways. It occurred to me then that the long night’s sleep had done a lot for me. I was only marginally anxious, not feeling the urge to flee and hide; I decided I could count that as a small blessing. 

After the arguably most important meal of the day was consumed, Raphael and Casey were tasked with cleaning up while I was led to the entertainment room by the ever exuberant brother. He set up a cartoonish racing game and proceeded to proverbially beat the pants off me. It was all in good fun and I did enjoy the experience. 

After he won a handful of games, we were called away to begin training. I sequestered myself to the sidelines as I observed them breaking into pairs to spar. Leo and Raphael were quick and ruthless in their fight; Donnie had taken a rather brutal hit to the carapace and Casey was bearing his rebuttal; while Mikey managed to maneuver himself erratically around April’s patient form with a series of flips as she awaited the perfect opportunity to strike. After the first bout, Leo excused himself to show me some katas, the repetition and controlled movements were the perfect low impact, energy preserving workout that would allow me to continue to rest and heal but also push my body to regain flexibility, mobility, and my sense of balance. 

Once my new instructor called a halt to the day’s training, we headed back inside for a light lunch when Donnie approached, “From what I saw it looked like you were doing well with the katas. How are you feeling?”

“Much better,” I happily mewed, “it feels like my blood pressure is finally lowered to normal, and the stretching really helped work some of the kinks out of my muscles!” 

He smiled at my apparent joy but was interrupted by Leo joining us before he could reply. “That was great work today Kitty! After seeing the rough shape you were in when we visited, I was surprised you were able to keep up, let alone keep your movements so precise and smooth.” I uttered my quick thanks before he continued. “Raph is going out to hunt after lunch. I spoke with him about it, and he agreed to take you along, maybe try to push the limits of your endurance a little more today. What do you think?” 

Before Don could object in favor of my resting as I figured he had been about to do, I agreed. “I’m nice and limber now and I feel like I could use the challenge. As long as you’re sure he doesn’t mind, I’m up for it.” Leo almost smugly signaled to Raphael who in turn frowned but nodded in understanding. I could tell Donnie was slightly irritated by the decision, but taking his hand and giving it a soft squeeze seemed to effectively soothe him.

The trek into the woods was quiet, neither of us wanting to scare any possible quarry. Our focus kept the silence from turning awkward which was a relief seeing as prey was hard to come by that day. It took a few hours, but I’d managed to harvest a couple pheasants and a rather large rabbit. The gruff turtle figured that would be plenty for dinner that night and immediately headed in a direct route back compared to the twisting path I’d led us in tracking our game.

“For a city turtle you sure know your way around the forest.” I made an attempt at small talk. He cocked an eyebrow as he threw a disbelieving side-eye my way. Okay, now it was becoming awkward. Oh no, we had at least another hour of travel before returning, I suddenly felt the pressure to win the grumpiest turtle to my side. I took a deep calming breath and started brainstorming discussion topics to get him talking. He had to accept me if I was to stay with Donnie. I helpfully remembered the mentioning of a little alien turtle the brother at my side had practically adopted. What was his name? Bitey, no but that was close. Chomper? Chompy! That was it. “Donatello told me about Chompy, I’ve been looking forward to meeting him.” I spoke up hopefully.

He cast a doubtful look my way before finally replying, “Mikey and Ice Cream Kitty have a playdate scheduled with him after dinner. I’m sure they’d let you join in.” Much to my relief, he seemed less angry after saying his piece. I was content with even this small victory and was going to let quiet settle back over us when he spoke up again. “I don’t know what all Donnie told you, but he’s been happier having you around than he has in a while.” He rounded on me threateningly and continued, “He’s been through a lot of heart break and none of us want to see him like that anymore. So, for your sake, you better not be messing with him or you’re going to have to deal with a clan of angry ninjas and we’ll make you wish that pack of coyotes had finished what they started.”

Okay then, maybe he wasn’t less angry, jeez it was difficult to read that guy. “I have no ill intentions toward any of you, least of all Donnie.” He searched my face with narrowed eyes before harrumphing and turning away. Well, I may not have won him over as hoped, but maybe he had reluctantly accepted me on behalf of his brother.

Once we returned, we convened in the barn where Leo was waiting to help prepare the kills. The leader excused his temperamental brother when he caught him attempting to suppress his shivering after such prolonged exposure to the cold. Lucky for me, the blue clad turtle was much more even keeled and made it easier to keep a conversation going. “I hope Raph didn’t bully you too much.”

I flicked my ear in his direction, keeping my eyes on my work, “Not really, no. He just expressed his worry for you guys in his own, um… unique way.” Donatello worked away oblivious to our conversation in a different corner of the structure.

Leo sighed, “I’m sorry, he means well.” He glanced towards Donnie before continuing in a more hushed tone. “We’ve all been worried about Don. Seeing the way he is around you is a little conflicting for us. On the one hand we want to see him happy, but, to be honest, we don’t really know if we can trust you. Raph and Mikey kind of cancel each other out, one trusting too easily and the other hard pressed to trust almost anyone; and as much as April and Casey are family to us now, they’re relationship isn’t really helping him get over everything. And, Donnie, well, this isn’t the first time he’s developed an attachment to someone this quickly and it didn’t end well last time. What I wouldn’t give to have Master Splinter back to impart us with his wisdom on the matter, but, since he isn’t, it’s left to me to figure things out. Heh, and I’m rambling. What about you?” He proceeded to ask his questions and prompt me for more in depth answers yet backing off if I became visibly uneasy. It was nice and our work went quick as a result.

Leo took the prepped meat to the kitchen where April made dinner. I quietly observed Donnie toil away at his workbench until the faint sound of the call to eat drifted to me and I whisked him away from his fixation. The last meal of the day had a similar feel to the first. Afterwards, my inclusion in the evening’s play with Mikey and the two pets was adorable and made my continued distance from the humans a comfort that I knew wouldn’t last. I would be forced to face the lingering remnants of my fear of the humans, but today was not that day, and I was glad to ignore my anxieties like they never existed in the first place. 

That night as we were once again huddled together in my nest, Donatello was quick to reassure me. He praised me for my ability to withstand his brothers’ insistent demands for my participation. I reiterated my hesitation in response to the group’s human presence which he insisted I had little to worry about from them. April tended to remain kind and helpful in just about any situation and Casey, despite his callous and emotionally unintuitive nature, was for the most part harmless. The turtle’s gently whispered words left me feeling a bit more relief than previously. As I was drifting off, lulled into slumber by his soft whistling snores, I found myself questioning what I would do without him.


	11. Proving Grounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kitty can't avoid the humans of the group forever.

My second morning at the farmhouse started very much like the first. After assisting Mikey in the kitchen, breakfast was served with conversation about the day’s proceedings. I was then introduced to a first person shooter on their console of choice, which to the energetic turtle’s chagrin and Donatello’s amusement, I excelled at, showing retention of muscle memory that I couldn’t explain. During training, Raph set me up with a weight set before joining the others to pair off for a different matchup of duels than the previous day. Following another quick lunch, the brother in red announced he was heading out on another hunt and after pausing for only a few seconds impatiently demanded to know whether or not I was coming. Before Donnie could complain about the way he spoke to me I patted him on the shoulder and immediately went. 

The expedition itself went much better; we managed to find an antlerless buck in a vastly shorter time which I took down with no difficulties. The conversation on the return trip managed to be just as treacherous as the prior day’s however. As we hauled the deer back between the two of us, Raphael startled me by breaking the silence, “You got a problem with April and Casey?”

Once my heartrate settled from my twitch of alarm, I gave my reply, “Them specifically, no; humans in general, yes.” I was more hesitant when I continued. “I’d say it’s a phobia, but that might not be exactly accurate. I’m nervous around them after some bad history with the species. Past performance is not a predictor of future results, though. Donnie’s been trying to help me work through it.”

The quiet returned for several steps until, “There’s a hockey game tonight after dinner that Casey wants to see. April usually hangs out with him when he watches and Mikey and I will be in the room. That might be a good time for you to ease yourself in.” I was conflicted then; it was nice of Raph to help with my integration and conquering my shortcomings, but at the same time trepidation took root in the pit of my stomach as I felt my tail thrash in worry and my ears cock back. I appreciated it nonetheless, and muttered the sincerest ‘thank you’ I could manage.

The cleaning of the kill proceeded normally with a chatty Leo and dinner not far behind. The group at the table made more of an effort to encourage me to participate in conversation, the results being quick and to-the-point replies made softly spoken due to my resurfacing insecurities. No one really seemed to mind thankfully and the meal ended with everyone happily sated. Donatello and Leonardo were left to their unenviable task of clearing the mess in the kitchen while the rest of us drifted into the living room. 

Casey had just found the correct channel and was reclining into the couch when I entered, flanked by Raphael and Mikey. The way they both waited for me told the probability of a prearranged plot to reassure me in my attempt at communing with the humans. I hesitated in the entryway, suspiciously eyeing my surroundings as the turtles went about settling into their own activities. April soon followed into the room with a cosmetics bag under an arm and sliding two kitchen chairs up to an end table. She sat in one before glancing my way with an encouraging smile and patting the other seat. My ears slipped back in surprise before they sprung forward again in curiosity and I moved to accept her silent invitation. 

“I figured we could do each other’s hair and nails while the guys do their thing, if you’d like.” I nodded feeling my eyes widen a bit in appreciation of the fact that she took the liberty of initiating this impromptu quality time. She pulled out a couple elastics and set them aside. Turning to offer me a brush, she mildly inquired, “Can you braid?” Before I could answer she turned her chair to face away.

I blinked a couple times at her back, “I’m out of practice, but I think so.” I began brushing her hair into pigtails and chose a side to start a fairly simple yet elegant fishtail braid. I worked quietly and efficiently listening to the hockey game and Casey’s occasional outbursts in response. I had finished the first and was part way through the next when the combined shouting of the announcer and Casey caught Aprils’ attention.

“Come on! Are you blind; that was icing!” He flopped back into the couch in disgusted resignation. 

April chimed in, barely loud enough to be heard over the still perturbed voice coming from the television. “What’s icing again?”

After several seconds of quiet from the guys, I spoke up. “It’s when a player shoots the puck past the other team’s goal line from the opposite side of the center line.” It was my turn to be perturbed when the guys on the other side of the room all turned in unison to stare at me. My hands stilled and my ears flipped back against my head.

“You know hockey?” Casey asked me incredulously. April fidgeted a bit and I hurried to continue my task at hand.

“I guess,” I shrugged slightly; “I assume I use to watch it before I was turned. I don’t remember which teams or sports I used to follow.” He quizzed my knowledge of other recreations as I finished April’s braid, trying to ferret out what I used to enjoy enough to learn the rules to. 

We switched seats and she started brushing out my coat. I probably would have been purring had the human male not started into a more uncomfortable line of questioning. Everyone else half-listened in until he pushed to the point of asking how many I had killed while being held in the EPF facility. The room exploded with rebuke at his callousness. I slightly shook in my seat as they slowly quieted to a labored silence.

I felt compelled to answer even though none were expecting me to. I figured it was best to get it off my chest, so to speak. “By the time they got me to kill I wasn’t in any mindset to be able to count. I’d gone feral by then, mad with hunger and an overpowering sense of self preservation. I barely remember most of the fights, just the bloody aftermath of them. There’s a good chance my mind shut out most of it to keep what was left of my sanity intact.” That had April pausing in her soothing strokes of the brush and brought my attention to the unnatural stillness that had encompassed the room.

Despite April’s hand being gentle as it clasped my shoulder while she came around to face me, the motion startled me anyways. “I can’t imagine how horrible that must have been. I’m here if you ever need someone to talk to. And I can always get you in contact with my dad if you feel like you need to talk to a professional; he’s a psychologist.” I nodded and gave a small smile in thanks, feeling like I’d said enough for a bit. She responded with a sympathetic half tilt of her mouth, petting one of my ears before returning to grooming me. 

The heaviness in the air didn’t continue long before Mikey broke it, asking endless questions about my favorite foods and babbling on about snacks and pizza toppings I needed to try. He was in the middle of explaining the pros and cons of homemade versus delivered pizza when April finished and pulled me out of my chair to turn it so it faced hers again and prepared a collection of nail polishes for our perusal. We each picked a color and started on our toes before taking turns to do each other’s manicures. 

When I took her hand to begin her nails, I jolted in surprise when my power made itself known once more. After a quiet startled gasp from the female in my grasp, I saw myself applying makeup to the human; I saw us giggling secretively amongst ourselves; and I saw us silently enjoying a glass of wine while watching some sappy chick flick. I was quick to release the redhead when she breathily whispered, “What was that?!” 

My eyes shot to hers in shocked horror before I glanced away to ensure the guys attention hadn’t been attracted. I collected myself and with a calculating look turned back to April. “What was what?” 

She raised an eyebrow at me knowingly, obviously seeing through my façade. “I saw something when you touched me and seeing as you jumped at the same time, I would guess that you know more about it than you’re admitting.” 

“Hmn, you saw it too then? It’s not something I’ve ever told anyone about, but yeah, I know something.” I continued in a hushed voice to explain what I presumed to be omen like visions and she just as softly shared about her psychic abilities as we continued with our nails. Finding out that I wasn’t the only one with strange powers I couldn’t explain allowed me to relax not only in her presence, but also in my own skin. If everyone in the house could accept April, odd gifts and all, then perhaps they could do the same for me when I found the courage to tell them. From there the night proceeded lightheartedly and I found myself enjoying the companionship.

\----------------

Donatello would have been the first to admit that he wasn’t the best of company that night while cleaning the kitchen with Leo. He found himself preoccupied with eavesdropping on the party in the other room and worrying about Kitty becoming overwhelmed and how everyone was treating her without him being present to defend her. If the motions he were going through hadn’t been practically muscle memory by now he would have been no help at all. As it were, his current companion kept an amused eye on him but didn’t press him to converse. Leo found his concern sweet and had to restrain himself from teasing the taller male quite yet.

It wasn’t until Don was elbow deep in soapy dishwater that Casey made his big misstep. Jerking to a stop with the outraged cries, he was about to angrily rinse his hands to go intervene when Kitty herself spoke up. It wasn’t difficult to hear the heartbreak and suppressed guilt in her words. He was beyond grateful for April and the kindness she showed to the distressed feline in his absence. 

After Mikey took over the conversation, Leo felt it was safe to win back his brother’s attention. “She seems to be getting used to all of us pretty quickly.” Donnie hummed in agreement not fully pulled from the voices in the other room. “It was touch and go for a minute there, but I think everyone likes her well enough.” This time he received a muttered agreement, but by the tension still clearly in his shoulders, it was obvious he was still anxious. Figuring it was time to rip the bandage off instead of continuing to take it slowly, he dropped the bomb. “It would be a good idea to start her sparring tomorrow. I was thinking I’d start and then let Raph take a turn with her.”

That got Donatello’s attention. If he had whipped his head toward the leader any faster he would have inflicted damage on himself. Expecting to find a teasing grin on the other turtle, D was shocked to find that he was being serious. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” he hissed, “She’s finally getting comfortable here and is just recovering from some major injuries.” When all he garnered was a raised eyebrow, he vehemently continued, “At least let me and Mikey spar with her first so she can reacclimate to fighting. You guys will be too hard on her and someone will end up hurt.”

Leo examined him briefly, “We need to get a good sense of her skill and control. If she loses it, I’d rather have it be against Raph or myself. You might see it coming beforehand and be able to calm her down, but if she’s fighting you at the time, she could see you as a threat and then no one would be able to reach her.” Donnie had been so confident about this subject while with Kitty, but now, facing the reality of the situation he started drowning in uncertainty. Was she ready for this? Would she lose control? If she did, would he be able to stop her before there was blood shed? What would happen if he couldn’t? His thoughts were obvious from his dreading expressions and his increasingly panicked breathing. 

Before his agitation could build anymore, Leo hung the dishtowel over the rack and gently turned the purple clad turtle in his direction. “You’re worried, I get it.” He paused briefly collecting his thoughts, “I assume you want her to come back to the city with us.” After accepting a slight nod, Leo went on, “Then we have to know she can handle herself around us with everything she might encounter from our enemies. If she can keep up and nothing too terrible happens, then we’ll see what the others think about offering her a place with us.” Donnie thought it through for a while and hesitantly agreed with the leader. This was best for all of them; he just hoped his feelings of foreboding were unfounded.


	12. Showtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the final test.

It was fairly obvious to Donatello that Kitty was still getting used to the polish on her claws. She had been repetitively unsheathing and sheathing them, just a quick flex and relaxation of her hands, but the way she kept lowering her gaze to scrutinize them spoke volumes for her. “You know, if the paint is bothering you, you can always take it off. April won’t mind, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Tearing her focus away, she turned it back towards holding the flashlight steady for him. “It’s fine, I’m just not used to feeling like my claws can’t breathe. So strange,” She flicked her ears. They hadn’t been in his lab for long, having just finished breakfast. She was attempting to stay calm after finally being told about her involvement in the day’s sparring rotation. Donnie was just happy that Leo had rescinded his lab allotment time seeing as he now had someone to force him inside if he got too cold and gladly took it upon himself to attempt to distract and ground her before her final set of trials.

He covertly peaked up at his new found assistant, “We didn’t really get a chance to talk last night; you were mostly asleep when I went up to see you. How are you feeling after interacting with April and Casey last night?”

“Well,” She considered her thoughts before continuing, “I’m certainly more comfortable in their presence, though I’m not so sure about Casey.” He turned completely towards her, allowing her musing to take his full attention and waited for her to elaborate. “I’m still trying to decide the intention behind his line of questioning last night. Was he trying to point out my sordid past to turn everyone against me or am I paranoid?”

He sighed, “Knowing Casey for as long as I have, I don’t believe he meant any harm.” The scientist turned repair turtle was quick to reassure her. “He can be obtuse when it comes to reading emotions in others especially while distracted. He usually doesn’t think his words or actions through beforehand, so he often comes off as crass.”

Kitty lowered her chin in thought, “Oh, so he’s just an idiot.” Realizing a second too late what she had let slip, she glanced guiltily back at her companion who just chuckled at her blunt pronouncement. Seeing as he wasn’t offended, she didn’t feel the need to apologize and figured she could further push her luck. “If that’s the case then I clearly don’t understand April’s taste in mates. She could have had you, but she chose him. That makes no sense; you are obviously superior. Humans must be de-evolving like wolves into mere dogs or they have an insatiable urge to procreate.”

Don just about choked on air at her rather flippant statement, but instead of the ache in his chest he was expecting at the reminder, he found growing warmth at her praise of him over the other male. Studying her for a moment, he turned back to his work hoping to hide the rising color in his face. He wasn’t very successful. She was slightly worried he had taken offense to her opinion until she caught the faint scent of his embarrassed pleasure. They both took a lot away from the conversation. He noted that she might hold a bit of resentment towards the human male for his insensitive behavior and yet was grateful for her show of preference towards himself. She was struck by the idea that he might have a bit of a praise kink.

Their silent thoughts were soon interrupted by the arrival of the rest of the group. Everyone moved to meet in the spacious center of the barn as Leonardo asked, “What do you think, Kitty? Are you ready to face me?”

She hummed noncommittally before responding with a slight tremor in her voice, “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

He laughed drily at that, “That’s the spirit. We’ll consider this a warm up for you. I won’t use my katana as long as you keep your claws tucked in. After that you and Raph can have a no holds barred, knock down drag out fight with weapons at your disposal.” She gulped nervously looking towards a grim Raphael before they nodded at each other in agreement. 

As the others gathered in a loose circle to observe, Leonardo and Kitty squared up to one another and with a mutual slight bow, the bout began. The leader started slowly and as his opponent matched his speed and agility, he ramped up the pace and intensity incrementally. At the height of the action, Donatello was left breathless by the graceful, dance-like display between his brother and closest friend. The even flow between offense and defense and the duo’s constant smoothly fluid motion of attack, block, and dodge reminded him of warring ocean currents. From the soft reactions of April and Mikey, it sounded like they were also in awe of the battle prowess on display.

Leo called an end to the round before his adversary was too worn out for her next fight. He congratulated her on keeping up and allowed her a brief respite to catch her breath as he called for volunteers to battle next. Mikey and Casey took up their places and the process began again with Donnie and April pairing off after. It felt much too quick when Kitty was called to face off against Raph.

The start was a bit rocky as the feline became accustomed to fighting against the sai wielder. However, she soon returned to her normal poise and dexterity, while her foe grew ever more agitated by her swift evasions. As his heated aggression rose so too did the power and fury behind his strikes. Rapidly finding herself forced into the defensive with few to no options for rebuttal, she feared she would soon tire without landing a single blow. As she began to overthink her options she mistimed her next attempt at a strike and came out the other side of the attack with a sai lodged in her mid-thigh. Collapsing onto her knee from surprise at the sudden rush of pain, she let out a fierce yowl; her ears pinned back to her head and bristling tail flailing.

Before Raphael could press his advantage Donatello cried out, “Stop! Back off, Raph!” Much to everyone’s relief the hotheaded turtle followed the instruction. He slowly straightened out of his fighting form and took a few steps back to give her room to breathe and gather herself as Donnie inched around to face her and ensure that she was still with them. He received a warning snarl for his efforts, but hesitantly continued forward making soft shushing noises in an attempt to comfort her. Finally meeting her almost crazed eyes, the dilation of her pupils began to recede and she quieted. He retreated at her grumbled admission that she was fine, he really didn’t want to argue with the angry wildcat.

Kitty steadily rose to her feet and once again squared up to her opponent. Narrowing her gaze at the red banded brother, she quickly ripped the weapon from her flesh and in the next instant it was imbedded in a wall far out of reach of its owner. With a low hiss, she sprang and the fight was on again, this time much more bloody and brutal than previously, much to Donnie, April, and Mikey’s dismay. The match was only called off once Raph caught the newcomer off guard with a full body charge and pinned her. They acknowledged each other as worthy opponents with another bow and stepped out of the ring so he could retrieve his weapon and she could lick her wounds.

Don rushed to her side to check on her injuries. “It’s fine, see, not too bad,” She insisted. He fussed over her a bit more before turning to Mikey to ask him to gather some medical supplies from his work station at the back of the barn. Raph and Leo wandered over after the makeshift nurse trotted off. She eyed the slowly bleeding scratches on the former’s shoulder and opposite forearm with a touch of regret before she spoke up, “It looks like I got you pretty good; I can clean that up for you if you like.” Not giving him the opportunity to answer, Kitty explained herself, “My saliva has healing properties. That’s how I was able to recover so quickly earlier this week.” The three gathered terrapins glanced at each other in a mutual wide-eyed understanding.

Raphael agreed out of curiosity and Don’s insistence at seeing further results of said ability. After a few deliberate swipes of her rough tongue, his shallow contusions were much less discolored and irritated. Mikey returned with bandages and the like as Leo admitted, “We were wondering about that. You healed remarkably fast, even for a mutant.” 

Dr. Donnie got to work on Kitty’s leg, causing her to flinch before muttering in answer, “Consuming fresh meat, organs, and blood help as well.” She found herself unable to hold eye contact with any of them, uncertain how this new knowledge would be received.

Leo nodded, “Yeah, the coyote, we saw the bites taken out of it, but didn’t know how to bring that up.” Finished with her, the turtle medic started bandaging Raph. Unsure about how to proceed, Leo falteringly added, “Do you need…” As he let his words trail off, Kitty assured them that she would be fine sticking to their diet. This injury was a minor inconvenience compared to what the coyotes left her with. 

Having completed his duty to his brother, Donnie went to return his supplies to their rightful place followed closely by Leo, leaving Mikey and Raphael to escort a limping Kitty back to the house. Once he was certain any prying ears were out of range, the leader made his enquiry to the taller turtle. “So, what do you think?”

Donatello paused in his motions. He thought a lot of things. After sorting through the jumbled mess in his brain he relented, “She lost control, yes, but she managed to regain herself quickly and even used the lapse to her advantage by harnessing the pain and rage as fuel for the second half of the fight.” He went back to organizing his armload into the appropriate drawers. 

Leo nodded despite his brother’s inattention, “I noticed that too. Do you think it would be in everyone’s best interest to invite her back to New York with us?”

He took his time on his task as an excuse to think through a reply; finally answering slowly and carefully. “I believe she has a great deal of potential to bring many beneficial assets to the team. That being said, we would have to help her work through some of her…obstacles.” Donnie did focus on the leader with that.

Leo nodded again with a subtle smirk, trying to keep the urge to tease his lovesick brother about the new girl’s ‘assets’ at bay. “I completely agree. You’re excused from dishes duty tonight. Bring Kitty back out to the barn after dinner to help you in the lab so the rest of us can talk. If everyone is in agreement you and I will make her the offer once you come in.” With this new information, Don simultaneously felt light headed, like his heart leapt into his throat, and butterflies invaded his stomach cavity. He squeaked out his assent to his brother before they too headed back to the house, though for a certain turtle, it felt more like floating, his high hopes could actually be within reach.


	13. Results

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final decisions are made.

Casey had just flicked on the TV and gotten comfortable on the sofa when April called him into the dining room. With a slightly aggravated grumble he hauled himself out of his seat and plodded over. He was met with the sight of three turtles and April all perched around the table patiently waiting for him. He groaned in frustration seeing as everyone looked focused and ready for a long meeting, even Mikey which was fairly weird. “Ugh, fine, let’s get this over with fast, the hockey game’s about to start.” Receiving an eye roll from his girlfriend, he got a thrill every time he was reminded that she had chosen him, he continued, “So what’s this all about?”

Thankfully Leo got right to the point of the matter. “We’re here tonight to discuss whether Kitty would make a suitable addition to the team. After evaluating her sparring today, Donnie feels confident that she’ll be able to handle herself and take on everything we deal with in the city.”

“Are you talking about inviting her to stay with us?” Mikey skeptically questioned, he didn’t want to get his hopes up prematurely. The leader’s affirmation had premature excitement setting in anyways. The more energetic of the brothers cawed much to the chagrin of the others, “Awww yeah, new sister! Can we ask her now? Where is she?” 

Raph quickly forced him back into his chair. “Calm down, shell for brains, we haven’t made a decision yet.” Turning back to the turtle in blue, “I’m not surprised that would be Donnie’s opinion, but it still doesn’t mean he’s right or that it’s a good idea. He had to stop our fight so she could get herself back in control earlier today. Our enemies won’t do that for her, so what’ll happen then?”

Leo nodded in understanding, “Don did acknowledge her weakness and he believes that we can work with her so that she won’t need those timeouts in the future. She’s already acclimated herself to being around so many of us, not to mention the progress she made in getting used to humans again.” Raph crossed his arms and leaned back, having said his piece for the moment. The leader turned to the other three at the table encouraging them to speak.

Casey shook his head in confusion, “If she’s going with you guys, I don’t see why I need to be part of this. It’s not like she’s moving in with me and April.”

Said female was quick to explain their reasoning. “She’s going to be part of our team once she’s ready, you should have a say in whether you’d feel comfortable with her having your back in a fight.” Seeing as Casey still didn’t seem to care, she sighed in resignation and returned her attention to Leo. “I think she’d make a great teammate as long as she can work through her trauma, and even if she can’t or it takes a long time, she’s done wonders for Donnie. I’m afraid he’d relapse into his depression or get even worse if we left her behind.”

Raph spoke up again, “Yeah, but can we trust her? How do we know she won’t turn on us or that her ‘tragic’ backstory isn’t all a trick to get her onto our good side so she can double cross us?” He garnered several raised eye brows from his line of questioning.

Letting out a low whistle, Casey eyed his red masked friend, “Don’t think you could sound more paranoid if you tried.” Mikey snickered at that, earning a smack to the back of his head from said brother.

“Her reactions towards us, that I’ve seen, appear genuine from what I can tell, and I can’t sense any ill intent or anything from her.” April came to Kitty’s defense citing her telepathic sensibilities. Raph grunted in response before relaxing again.

Leo took the lead with that, “Any other concerns you guys want to air before we take this to a vote?” When all had answered in the negative the voting commenced.

\----------------

As Donatello and I returned to the house from our impromptu and slightly suspicious lab time, I couldn’t help but ponder his stiff, nervous disposition. It had me worried and on edge. I was still debating if I should ask him what was wrong or let him open up at his own pace. Leo was quick to notice our entrance and rose from his lounging position in the living room with the rest to meet us. I noted a slight nod from him directed to the turtle by my side and felt him immediately relax as a result. He shepherded us to the much quieter kitchen where both brothers abruptly focused their attention on me, causing my anxiety to flare.

“I spoke with everyone and we’re all in agreement. We have a proposition for you,” Leonardo started. I glared at him in disbelief and disgust before his face darkened in embarrassment. “Not that kind of proposition!” He sputtered. Donnie did a poor job of muffling his snickering and I smirked, subtly signaling that I was just messing with the perturbed brother. He glared between the two of us with a huff, slowly regaining his tranquility. “What I was trying to say is that we would like to extend an invitation for you to join us when we return to the city.”

Stunned into silence, I felt my mind blank and my jaw fall open. What did he…did he just…? It took several more seconds before I closed my mouth and glanced at Donnie for a confirmation of what I thought I had just heard. He awarded me with a soft look, “You’re welcome to come back and live in the sewers with us.” He was a bit sheepish when he continued, “That probably doesn’t sound very appealing when I say it like that, but we have our place fixed up, modern conveniences, it’s pretty homey, and...” He trailed off when I lowered my gaze with a thousand yard stare.

Leo clapped his hand on my shoulder when he felt the air between us thickening, bringing me back to reality. “You don’t have to decide now. We won’t be leaving for another few days, you can think on it. If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask.” He patted where his hand had rested a couple times before removing it and himself from the room, leaving Donnie and I alone with the faint murmur of the television in the background.

This was what I wanted, wasn’t it? Then why did I feel so anxious and panicked? What was wrong with me? I quietly and haltingly spoke without looking up, “I think I need some time to myself, just an hour or two maybe. If you still want to come up tonight you can.” I didn’t wait for a reply before I scampered out, making my way to my fortress of solitude in the attic. Shutting myself in felt right, I wanted the comfort of a secure location and a warning before a deathly silent ninja could sneak up on me. 

Now that I was physically secure I had to figure out these emotions. Why was this hysteria taking over? Brainstorming possibilities helped me form a list that I could easily follow for clues. First up and mentally crossed off, I knew I wanted to be where Donatello was, I didn’t like to think about seeing him once every few years, or at worst, never seeing him again. The next negated problem, I was becoming accustomed to sharing enclosed spaces with several others and I knew that with more time I could form a healthy relationship with the turtles and their human friends, so those weren’t the culprits. Finally, Don and I had already talked about my feral episodes and with his help and possibly counseling from April’s father, I felt confident that I could conquer them. 

If those weren’t factoring into my new fear, then what was? It took me a lot longer than expected before I ultimately came to my conclusion and I didn’t know how to feel about the realization. I was daunted by the commitment. There were so many aspects of moving in with them that could go wrong. What if one of the brothers and I had compatibility problems, what if I didn’t like the city or their sewer home, what if they decided I really wasn’t a good fit for the team, what if Donnie moved on or didn’t agree to a relationship? What would I do then? Would I be able to find my way back to the safety of my den in the forest?

After some rationalization I came to another conclusion. Those worries were all ridiculous. I had survived so much worse, persevered through so much more. I was stronger, more capable, and cleverer than my cowardice was allowing me to believe. I deserved a chance at happiness, and if it turned bitter sometime down the road, then so be it. I could handle it. If I didn’t like my new home I could just find another, either come back to the woods or relocate elsewhere in the city. If there was one thing that I had learned since becoming a mutant, it was adaptability.

By the time Donatello was wrenching down the attic ladder, my cold feet had passed. I was now plagued by a jittery nervousness. If I were to accept the invitation then it was only fair to disclose my feelings for the brilliant turtle now making his way into my borrowed domain. I wasn’t sure why I was so fretful over informing him of my affection, he had been giving me so many signs that he returned the sentiment. Perhaps the root cause was my hesitance to show such blatant vulnerability, but that didn’t make sense seeing as he had literally nursed me back to health just under a week ago. My lack of self confidence in social settings was more likely at fault. But he had to know; if I was somehow misreading his interactions with me, then it was only fair that he knew in order to avoid future unpleasantness.

As he made his approach I noticed his uncertain demeanor. I lightly grinned up at him hoping to put him more at ease for what I had planned. It appeared to work as the tightness in his shoulders released; his searching gaze on my person remained however. “I’m not interrupting, am I? I gave you more than the couple hours you asked for, but if you need extra time I can go,” he paused in his advance, gesturing with his thumb behind him towards the scuttle hole. I resolutely shook my head reaching a hand towards him in a silent request for his presence. The gentle smile he graced me with was still unsure, but he joined me in my nest regardless. Once he was nestled in beside me he stroked my ear a few times. I wasn’t sure if that was for his benefit or mine, but if he had kept it up I would have become a purring mess. “So, do you want to talk about it or...?” He was just as nervous as me; he was usually a bit more eloquent in his speech.

I suddenly found it difficult to meet his eye, “Yeah, I thought it over and I have a fairly personal matter to discuss with you before I decide.” My panic was back in full force now. Oh no, how do I do this?! I wished I had more time to prepare, but would it have helped? I’d probably have still been in the same boat. I’d just get it over with quickly, like ripping off a bandage. Don’t think, just say it! “I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you.” O jeez, it was even more nerve wracking now that it was out in the open! I was way too terrified to look at him now! My mind and mouth went into hyper drive, “It’s only fair that you know; I don’t want to make everything awkward later as your friendship is too important to put at risk by...” 

I was lucky my word vomit was cut off mid-stream or else I don’t think I would’ve been able to stop. Donnie had tackled me into the bedding, crushing me into him in a fierce stranglehold of a hug. It took me a bit of wriggling to unpin my lower arms enough to return some semblance of an embrace. “I was hoping it wasn’t just me,” his voice rumbled through his plastron into me. I nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck; breathing in his scent, I was content to stay this way forever, but several long minutes would have to suffice. “So where do we go from here?” He eventually pulled away slightly to better read my reactions.

“If I’m going with you back to New York, then I wouldn’t be opposed to attempting a relationship,” I replied searching his face for any signs of displeasure. He gave me the most openly loving look I had ever seen, which encouraged me to continue. “We can take our time really getting to know each other and we don’t have to rush any intimacy, move at whatever pace we can agree feels comfortable.”

Gently closing the distance between our foreheads, he brushed our noses together in such a sweetly affectionate way it made my already hammering heart feel like it took flight. “That sounds perfect,” he confided as he sealed our deal by bringing his surprisingly soft lips to mine in a lightly lingering, innocent kiss. I could no longer contain my delight; I began purring up a storm. Donnie slightly jerked away when the new noise registered in his mind then froze with a look of pure awe and adoration as he took in the sight of me contently huddled to his form. He let out a rush of breathy chuckles before resuming where we’d left off. 

We stayed awake for a few more hours forging a stronger bond through our talking, touching, and kissing. After deciding that I would announce my decision the next day and checking my mostly healed leg injury from the day’s training session, we fully snuggled together under the blankets of the nest. As I was dozing off listening to my love’s softly whistling snores, I couldn’t help but bask in our shared warmth as the joy of this newly formed partnership blossomed within me. My previous distress had melted away and a bubbling excitement for my new life, filled with love and happiness, took its place. I may not have known whether everything would work out in the end, but I was eager to give it my all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thank you to everyone who stuck through to the end!
> 
> So, now that the story is over, you may be asking 'Now what?' Well, I have more TMNT fics in the works!
> 
> 1) Left in the Wake will be posted Wednesday, a Michael Bay TMNTxreader songfic. If you have qualms about songfics (which I wouldn't blame you!) my songfics can be read as fully fledged stand alone fictions. Give it a try if you're feeling daring (it has a dark-ish undertone).
> 
> 2) You may have noticed Kismet is now part of a series (I'll look like an idiot if I forgot to link the second part). I am around halfway finished with the final part of the trilogy, a oneshot called Misfortunate Repercussions. If it's finished, I'll post it the Wednesday after Left in the Wake, if it's not finished by then, I'll post it as soon as it is finished.
> 
> 3)My next multi-chapter work is going to be a spin-off of Kismet where that universe's Kitty meets the 2003 turtles. Don't get your hopes up that it will be posted in a timely manner however. I like to completely finish a story before beginning to post it (I hate it when an author abandons a project part way through) and also I'm starting the moving process which might keep me away from writing for a bit. I am on tumbler under the same username as here if you want to check on my progress or chat (I rarely post anything on there). 
> 
> 4) I'm in the outline stage of another multi-chapter work, also a spin-off of Kismet, but with the Michael Bay turtles this time. This will be a while out though as I won't start it until the 2003 turtle story is completed.
> 
> See you around! <3


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